Walking Trees

Marie-Louis Gay is internationally acclaimed for her storytelling and her endearing illustrative work. She has twice won Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award. She is indisputably one of the leading figures in Canadian children’s literature. Her latest book, Walking Trees, will add to her already well-established reputation. Walking Trees was inspired by an article Gay read about an art project in the Netherlands called Bosk. Bosk apparently means “forest”, and the art project involved planting a thousand trees in large wooden containers that were wheeled about the city of Leeuwarden to create a “walking forest.” In her author’s note at the beginning of Walking Trees, Gay wrote, “Bosk reminded me that we can change the world one tree at a time. And I wondered about the child who might be the first to take her tree for a walk.”

In Walking Trees, the child who takes her tree for a walk is Lily. Lily receives a tree for her birthday and promptly names the tree, George. The small apartment in which Lily lives with her father is hardly suited to growing a tree. Yet, Lily promises to care for the plant, providing it with the water, sunshine, and fresh air needed to be healthy. Accordingly, Lily regularly loads George into a small wagon for walks in the neighbourhood. On these walks, Lily uses George to provide shade from oppressive heat. Two of Lily’s friends soon join in, walking their own trees. More and more people join the parade, wheeling trees, plants, and flowers with Lily, creating a moving forest that adds beauty, shade, and abundant life to the city.

Walking Trees is beautifully designed and presented. The end pages are a lovely hue of green that matches the predominantly green book cover. In this way, the story within is literally enfolded in green—as if the story, itself, is taking place within the greenery of the moving forest. Throughout the book, Gay primarily employs a soft green colour palette. However, as the story progresses, more and more colour is added. What appears initially as rather drab city scenes becomes increasingly vibrant and alive as more trees appear in the moving forest. Towards the book’s end, a gatefold opens out to a four-page illustration in which the greens are augmented by purples, pinks, yellows, blues, oranges, and reds. Music plays, kites soar, babies laugh and coo, artists create, children play, people read and relax, and birds and butterflies add beauty to the scene. With the addition of trees, the dreary city has been transformed into a colourful, energetic, wonderful place.

The artwork features Gay’s characteristically whimsical and charming stylized illustrations. The drawings have an attractive “cartoonish” feel, yet, despite this deceptively simple-looking initial appearance, they contain considerable detail. Careful and multiple viewing reveals new particulars and new delights with each subsequent reading. Gay’s mixed media illustrations include liberal use of watercolours, with acrylics, pastels, pencils, and ink. Collage elements have also been added. The artist strikes the right balance, skillfully using these and other various components to create engaging and enchanting illustrations that draw and reward the eye.
Gay’s story is well told, with precise and concise word choices. The written text provides the skeletal framework, and the illustrative text fleshes it out, adding vibrancy and life. Walking Trees is a book that offers hope. It is a beautiful book that will be enjoyed by people young and old.