In the Tree House by Andrew Larsen and illustrated by Dusan Petricic (Kids Can Press, 2013) is a subtle book about childhood and a special place. Two brothers create a tree house together, but when the older brother “grows up” faster, the younger brother is discouraged and alone. It takes a black out to bring them back together.
I loved the gorgeous illustrations, and it was a nice book overall. However, it seemed to have too much telling and not enough showing. It had lots of back story before it got to the climax of the blackout. Overall, it just didn’t feel concise. There are other books with similar messages that read a lot better.
Review book.