Review: It's Sisters Day!

Happy Sisters Day everyone! I hope you give the sisters in your life a hug, if you’re near enough to each other, or at least send a special message. I have another suggestion for a way to celebrate this special day: Read one of my favorite sisters books, of course! Maybe you could even read two or three or four. I fell in love with Maple when I read all about her in the first book of the series. And then I fell in love with Maple’s sister, Willow, as well as her companion books, MAPLE & WILLOW TOGETHER and MAPLE & WILLOW APART. So, naturally, last Christmas I couldn’t resist checking out MAPLE & WILLOW’S CHIRSTMAS TREE. I encourage you to read all of the MAPLE books. Here is a review to let you know a little about the first in the series: 

TITLE: MAPLE

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Lori Nichols

PUBLISHER: Nancy Paulsen Books/2014

OPENING LINES: 

Maple loved her name.
When she was still a whisper, her parents planted a tiny tree honor!
And even though Flavia, Millie Jane, Lena, Lily, and Constance were all good names…
Maple was the perfect fit.

​This book takes you on a journey with little Maple from infancy to childhood. As the seasons pass, she grows right alongside the special tree planted in her honor. Sometimes Maple wishes she had someone to play with, but she still has her tree. But one day, “something surprising” happens, and Maple becomes a big sister! This character-driven story that touches on themes of friendship and family. Lori Nichols’ lyrical text tells a lovely story, but do to her illustrations. Can I gush about the illustrations? Lori Nichols’ art is just dreamy! The color palette and soft strokes are perfectly suited for this sweet story. I loved how she illustrated the tree and Maple in different seasons, watching Maple grow from baby to big sister, and seeing all the little animals that tell their own story in the background. If you haven’t read MAPLE or the other books in this series, I encourage you to run to your book store or library now!
 
Read this review on Goodreads or Amazon.