I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree

The young heroine of I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree explores wonderful things in her environment. Standing in front of her window, she sees her “giant” shadow early in the morning. She plays with her shadow and learns that it never stays away for long.

While wandering outside on a cold winter’s day, she hears “the wind tell stories, whispering to the trees.” She also hears the wind at night. It sounds like scary wolves, but she knows that “the best way to tame wolves is to tell them a story.”

On a walk through the snow, she catches snowflakes on her mittens and marvels at their perfection and beauty. Seeing a cherry tree with buds gives her hope for beautiful leaves in the springtime. She knows that autumn buds will bring springtime flowers!

Jean E. Pendziwol, the author of this picture book, and Nathalie Dion, the illustrator, want very young readers to think about the beauty of nature all around them. The descriptions of the winter environment are skillfully crafted. Readers will be inspired to ask questions such as: Why do we have shadows? How are snowflakes formed? How do buds on trees in autumn become flowers in the spring? Why is nature important in our lives? What inspires hope in your life? How does our environment impact us?

The wonderful illustrations show our heroine appreciating the beauty of nature in her daily life. On each page, the colour pink is used to provide a unifying element. Pink is the colour of cherry blossoms in spring, and the very last page is an image of these blossoms. Another unifying element is her white pet cat which joins her explorations. There are gentle white snowflakes against the background of her pink and blue mittens.

The vocabulary of this picture book is simple and easy to understand. It is rare that a picture book captures the thoughts and feelings of its readers so precisely. In this time of uncertainty and fear of the future, young children may have difficulties dealing with their emotions. I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree tells a simple, yet beautiful, story about dealing with fears in a constructive way and thinking about the future with hope. In a classroom setting, I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree could also be a great tool for engaging students in discussions about nature, seasons, shadows, snowflakes, trees, change, nightmares, fear, and hope.