THE TOGETHER TREEHOUSE

A child builds community.

Best friends Sam and Milo are working on a treehouse when Milo learns that he and his family will be relocating. After Milo leaves, a bereft Sam finds it difficult to carry out their plans alone. Then Martha moves into Milo’s old house with her family, and though Sam resists her initial overtures of friendship, he ends up impressed by her vision for completing the treehouse. Working as a team, with lots of tools and no adult help, they build a complex structure, which becomes a gathering place for them and for many other children, who suddenly appear in the story. Their unexplained presence isn’t the only bumpy part of the narrative, originally published in Germany; dialogue, especially Martha’s, feels rather stilted and adult (“I know Milo was special, but it’s okay to build other friendships too. Like ours”). Tourlonias’ illustrations have a rather stiff quality, the people looking doll-like, akin to Precious Moments figurines, though not in a pastel palette. When Milo returns for a visit, the story comes full circle, but that’s not enough to create a satisfying read. Sam and Milo have light-tan skin, while Martha is brown-skinned.

Doesn’t quite come together.