Today was the annual cherry blossom festival in my city. Although only a couple of trees were in bloom due to the late start to spring this year, it was a beautiful sunny day. As such, I thought this would be a good time to share this book.
The Cherry Tree is a story of a Japanese village that has been through war. The father of the two young protagonists was killed and their mother's heart is broken. When the children see an old man taking care of an old cherry tree that hasn't bloomed since before the war, they at first wonder if he's wasting his time and energy. But they decide to help him and soon they are filled with hope that the tree will bloom again. It's a powerful story about resilience through great struggle. As always, Brian Wildsmith's illustrations are rich and layered with amazing pops of color.
Photo from today's festival:
