The Secret of the Old Willow Tree and Other Stories by Chrissie Ship is a collection of short stories focused on imagination and creativity. This short book becomes an excellent gift for children as the four stories introduce them to much-needed wisdom.
Even though I am a fully-grown adult, a children’s book still warms up my heart. The stories in this book are majorly focused around pandemic. We would agree that lockdown has been hard on all of us. Children were not spared either. In fact, they might have found it very hard to cope with living at home all day long when all they want is to go out and play.
Olivia and Max are siblings who are bored. However, they happen to come across the old willow tree and find its world fascinating. There are fairies, there is magic, and everything dreamy. One of the stories where the author talks about magic was my favorite. It essentially intends to tell us one can always find the magic if we actively look for it. This is so simple and meaningful. Similarly, other stories have an underlying message that would educate and motivate young minds.
Chrissie has taken up this project and did it really well. The book has ample illustrations to complement the engaging text. In a nutshell, the book is a perfect gift for children. And even if you’re an adult but would want to read something light and interesting, pick this one up for the pleasure reading.