Tree Thing by Piers Torday
This book was absolutely magical, mystical and wonderful. It gave real facts about nature, and like all good books has a big evil villain. Tree Thing was only published this year 2026 by Quercus Children’s Books. Written by Piers Torday and beautifully illustrated by Matthew Taylor Wilson, this book is a gem.
Aimed at children aged 7 years and upwards, I read this book to my dog Misty, who really enjoyed listening to the tale, especially the animals and Rinti the squirrel, and Misty also enjoyed sniffing the book’s pages. The version I read was a hardback and it says at the start of the book that the wood for the board and pages are from responsible sources!
The illustrations are in black and white which I think actually makes the images stand out more, but the cover is in colour. In lovely earthy tones of mainly greens and blues and then browns, yellows, reds and gold flecks on the Tree Thing’s leaves and on the lettering.
The Tree Thing: the blurb at the back of the book
Once, in a faraway land, a green thing grew out of the ground…
In a valley where nothing ever grows, all Marlo wants to do is survive. Then his squirrel, Rinti, finds a glowing emerald acorn which grows into a miraculous Tree Thing.
Tree Thing brings life and hope to Marlo and his family, changing everything.
But when a shadowy Rider arrives with an axe, will Marlo be brave enough to stand between triumph and disaster?
The book has short and sweet chapters that can be read slowly to or by early readers, or eaten in one tasty book sitting. The book falls under the genre category of children’s fiction and children’s fantasy, and is also considered fable-like, and of course it is an eco-fiction, about the environment and has an adventurous feel too. The themes of nature, life, conservation and how fragile the environment is, if it is not treated with enough love and care are at the heart of this book.
Piers Torday
Piers Torday has written many books such as The Last Wild, and The Frozen Sea, to name just a few and has written plays, including a play adaption of John Masefield’s The Box of Delights. His books have won many awards and medals.
Matthew Taylor Wilson has artistic foundations in children’s picture books and films, starting off as a graphic designer before moving to a more fun and childlike career with illustrating children’s book covers, stories and is known for his spooky trees and monsters.
(c) Grace O’Reilly
Order your copy of The Tree Thing online here.
And read more from Grace O’Reilly on Writing.ie here.
