Written as a tribute to the community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, The Comfort Tree by Nancy Carr is a story about seasons, comfort and love.

The oak tree grows from a tiny acorn into a tall and mighty tree that provides shelter and comfort to many forest dwellers. Readers explore, with the animals of the forest, the ways in which they use the oak tree throughout the seasons.

The first thing that stands out in this story is the incredible art by Nancy Carr. The pictures fill the two page spreads and bring readers from the forest floor to the tree tops. With close ups of all the animals, readers are fully immersed into forest life. 

I love that the book takes readers through the seasons and shows readers some of the adaptations that the animals in the forest use throughout the year while also centering what makes each animal feel safe in the tree. Readers can make connections in their own lives, the ways they seek comfort, to the ways that the animals seek comfort. 

I love that the narrative has been kept simple and clear. Each page features the tree, an animal and a simple sentence about how the animal finds peace with the tree. It’s a story that can easily be shared with a group of early years readers as well as older, more seasoned readers. It’s a book that can be used to introduce scientific concepts as well as a jumping off point to talk about mental health. You all know how much I love a book that can be used in so many different ways!