Prolific board and picture book author Laura Gehl (Baby Scientist series) and illustrator Patricia Metola (Love from Alfie McPoonst, the Best Dog Ever) use whimsical illustrations and compact but rhythmic text to tell the story of an apple tree reaching out to help its nearby friend, a magnolia tree.
Britta, a girl with warm brown skin and masses of pink hair, lives with her white and blue-haired father, her brown-skinned and blue-afro'd sister, Bronwyn, and her brown-skinned and white-haired nana. This loving family makes their home in the country, where Britta's favorite companions are the titular trees, best friends Apple and Magnolia. When Magnolia begins to sicken and lose her leaves, Britta is concerned and looks for a solution. She feels sure that Apple can help her friend, but Dad and Bronwyn aren't too sure. In what becomes a refrain, "Dad said, nicely, that he didn't think Magnolia would survive the winter." Bronwyn adds, "not as nicely, that Magnolia absolutely, positively would not survive the winter." Nana, however, is very encouraging and tells Britta she needs to have "a plan to help Magnolia." And so, Britta sets out to ensure that Apple will save Magnolia.
Though this endearing picture book has the quality of a fable, it is an original, modern story built around the idea that trees are able to communicate with each other (as described in a short author's note at the book's beginning). Perfect for reading aloud to an individual child or a group, Apple and Magnolia could be used to help children explore the growing cycle, the importance of cooperation and friendship, and the wonders of nature. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer