Jessica Scott Kerrin

The Better Tree Fort by Jessica Scott Kerrin, illustrated by Qin Leng, published by Groundwood Books is a wonderful reminder that there are some things that will always be better but nothing is as special as the love of a parent for his/her child.

Russell has just moved into his new house, a house with a giant maple tree in the yard. What better way to enjoy a giant maple tree then by building a spectacular tree fort? Unfortunately, Russell’s dad is not the handiest dad around but not to show more fear, Russell draws up the plans and they head to the lumber store to buy the supplies and ask for a bit of advice and finally Russell has a fantastic tree fort of his own. When Russell climbs up into his tree fort he is stunned to see that Warren down the way is also building a tree fort, well the builders his dad hired are building the tree fort that is and it is even better than Russell’s.

There are so many relatable moments in this lovely story, like the four extra trips to the lumber store (happens every time my Dad is in town helping us with work around the house). The tree fort may not turn out exactly like the plans Russell drew but that’s okay because it is perfect and the reason it’s perfect is Russell and his Dad built it together. They spend time together in the fort, enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and have a camp out together in the fort. At the end of the story Russell’s dad remarks, “There will always be a better tree fort” and Russell remind his dad, “But not a better dad.” It’s a beautiful story to remind us all there will always be things that are bigger and better than what we have, but if we take the time to enjoy the company of our family there is no better thing in the world.
Qin Leng's art in The Better Tree Fort is so fabulous. It's light and airy and reminiscent of some of Quentin Blake's work in the ink drawings. I absolutely love the effect of the watercolour and the pencil crayon combined with the ink drawings to create such visually appealing illustrations. It's a style your child can pick up by putting ink to page and giving it a good water colour wash. A wonderful example to inspire some rainy or sunny day creations. show less

When Russell and his father move to a new house, the young boy decides he wants a tree fort with all the trimmings, from a slide to a skylight. His father doesn't know much about building, but he gamely steps up, and together they build the best tree fort they can. Then Russell spies a swanky new tree house going up down the street, and visits the young boy whose play-place it is. Although it has everything Russell originally wanted, the perceptive young boy realizes something: there will show more always be a better tree fort than his, but there will never be a better dad...

A perfect Father's Day book for the picture-book set, The Better Tree Fort depicts a loving, healthy relationship between father and son, while also exploring issues of possessions and comparative affluence, and how we feel about them. It's a common human trait to compare ourselves to others, and become jealous of what those others have, but author Jessica Scott Kerrin demonstrates how foolish this is, when the things that can make us truly happy - like loving relationships - have nothing to do with how plush our tree forts (or houses) are. The artwork by Qin Leng, which are done in ink, watercolor and color crayon, are quite appealing, capturing the fun that Russell and his father have together. Recommended to anyone looking for good new picture-books about fathers, or for children's stories addressing possessions and (possible) jealousy. show less

“Let’s build a tree fort,” Russell says to his dad when they move into a house with a big maple tree in the backyard. His dad doesn’t know much about building, but he gamely follows Russell’s plan. Several trips to the lumber store later, the tree fort is done. There is no slide, balcony or skylight like Russell imagined, but it is perfect — right up until he notices another tree fort going up three houses over.
When Russell goes over to investigate, he meets Warren, whose bigger show more tree fort has castle turrets and working lights. Russell is in awe until it dawns on him that it’s not worth worrying about who has the better tree fort when he has a loving dad there to build one with him.
In this subtle, humorous story, Jessica Scott Kerrin explores the idea of keeping up with the Joneses — and what that means when you’re a kid with a tree fort. Qin Leng’s lighthearted watercolor illustrations show the unshakeable bond between a father and son, as well as the delightful details of two tree forts.

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. It’s a picture book aimed at young readers who can read somewhat on their own, or with minimal assistance. The illustrations are watercolor and ink and are perfect for helping the story along.

The last page says it all:

“There will always be a better tree fort.”
“But not a better dad.”

Awwww, I love how the author put this story together to send a beautiful message to children. Sometimes better is not always quality. Lovely! show less

Graeme wishes he could escape from his boring small fishing town, Lower Narrow Spit. After all, he's going to be a marine biologist and he knows everything there is to know about the town and marine life there already.

But then Graeme's dad catches a huge lobster and suddenly Graeme realizes he doesn't know so much about his town after all. Why is the school bully, Norris, whose wealthy and nasty dad owns the cannery, so eager for Graeme to solve the mystery of who broke their teacher's show more beloved cactus? Is the giant lobster the same one three elderly men caught years before? Graeme desperately wants a trip to the Big Fish Aquarium and the lobster seems like his ticket to get there, but is it worth all the trouble he's getting into?

I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand, it has a lot of things going for it that really make me want to like it. It's a realistic story about boys - Graeme has that consuming interest in a subject that so many elementary and young middle school boys have. He's so dead set on his dream, visiting the aquarium, that he doesn't stop to think how his actions are affecting the other people in town. There's interesting tidbits about fishing and marine life thrown in as well as a mystery. It's also short, only 125 pages, and I'm so tired of massive 300-400 page middle grade novels that most middle grade readers can't lift, let alone read. It's focused on something other than school and emotional relationships (have you noticed how many middle grade realistic fiction books featuring boys are focused on school and the boys' emotional responses?)

On the other hand...it's just not very well-written. The dialogue is clunky and awkward (how many kids even know what "audacious" means?), the characters' behavior isn't explained well, and the plot doesn't hang together well. Graeme's detective ability isn't supported by the story and the characters don't change or grow by the end of the story, staying static and one-dimensional to the end of the book. The giant lobster and fishing themes were interesting, but not well-fleshed out with lots of time given to the convoluted plot of the missing cactus which turns out to be mostly irrelevant, as is the plot thread with Graeme's sister. Because we never really learn anything about the other characters, their mass outrage when they discover what Graeme is doing doesn't ring true.

Verdict: I think this writer - and the series - shows promise but needs some work. If you have the budget, make this an additional purchase. Otherwise keep an eye on the author for and possible purchase later on.

ISBN: 97855453; Published March 2012 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates show less