Book Synopsis:
Imagine a world without trees. A world that is in many ways like our world, but where magnificent canopies, tree climbing and leaves rustling in the breeze are now only distant memories.
Until a young girl comes along, a girl who is brave and spirited and willing to follow where her imagination takes her. Through Olive’s adventures in the world of trees we are reminded of nature’s extraordinary power and beauty, and her actions ultimately sow the seeds of new life in her own world.
From the mind and pen of bestselling author Luke Adam Hawker, The Last Tree is a powerful evocation of the fragility of our natural world and a magnificent celebration of its beauty.
My Review:
The Last Tree is a beautiful, magical, thought provoking book that I’m sure will be loved by adults and children alike.
Olive’s story is an interesting one that my children and I enjoyed following. There aren’t many words in the book but the story is still able to pack a punch. There are a few different themes going through this book, though some aren’t obvious straight away. Judging by my kids reaction I think the book is going to impact children in different ways.
My children picked up on the magical adventure first, seeing it as her journey back to her father with the help of some magical friends which they loved. My daughter immediately wanting to go into the woods near us to see if she could find deer to befriend. The environmental theme was sadly lost to them until mentioned by me but led to some wonderful discussions about the environment and how we could help it. A theme that they took into their school with them after my youngest dramatically exclaimed that we were going to lose all our trees if we don’t do something now!
This book is beautifully illustrated with some stunning drawings that my daughter loved looking at. There is lots of beautiful details in the pictures which seemed very true to life, like you were looking at the actual scene rather than a picture. I loved the way the drawings are all so different and the way the author uses them to tell the story rather then relying on the text. It would be lovely to have prints of these illustrations to put on the kids walls.
Overall I thought this was a brilliant book and one I will be recommending or buying for others as presents. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Luke Adam Hawker worked as an architectural designer before becoming a full time artist in 2015. He sells his signed and limited edition prints to fans throughout the UK and the rest of the world. He has also been commissioned by brands such as the Soho House Hotel Group, and has an artwork hanging in the Parliamentary Art collection.
Luke’s first book, Together, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It has sold over 130,000 copies worldwide to date, and has been translated into nine languages.
Luke lives with his wife, son and dog Robin in Surrey, England.
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