(ARC was provided to read and review.)

Sameer is a young boy, who lives with his parents in Lebanon. The house next to them stood empty for quite a few years, as the neighbours left during the war. But the war is over and they are back and he is looking forward to hopefully a new playmate living now next door to him.
Sadly, the child next door is a girl and not a boy, as he had hoped, and worse, Muno never talks to him, she doesn't even look his way.

A wall separates both properties and an olive tree grows right next to it on the neighbour's ground. Every year so far Sameer has collected the fruits which the overhanging branches dropped into his parents yard.
But Muna objects. "The tree is ours" she claims. "We looked after it, while you were away" Sameer returns.
They don't come to an agreement and angry Sameer dumps the basket with his collected olives on the other side of the wall and walks away.
After that he stops gathering the olives. Of course, they still fall to the ground on his side of the wall, but no one takes care of them now.

During a severe strom a lightning strucks the tree and shatters it and part of the wall to pieces. Both families are very sad, as they both were very attached to the tree. But with the object of their quarrels now gone, the two children have a chance for a fresh start.
Will they take it and become friends?

The Olive Tree is a very beautiful story of forgiveness, sharing and friendship. It's also a story, which tells us, that we enrich our lives, when we try to understand and respect "our neighbour on the other side of the fence", which must not necessarily be a garden fence, no matter what religion they believe in or which culture they belong to.
Claire Ewart's illustrations, are the most stunning watercolor paintings and enhance Elsa Marston's story perfectly. I so much enjoyed looking at the wonderful artwork.

It's a book which children will love to read or have read to them by their parents. It opens up room for many questions and interesting discussions. Highly recommended. ( )

The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston tells the story of an olive tree that divides families. It stands in the yard of a family in the Middle East who has fled during the war, but its olives fall into the yard of the neighbor next door. When the olive tree owners return, the neighbors are disappointed to learn that the owners angrily declare that collecting the olives is stealing. The olives lay on the ground. The owners and the neighbors are estranged. Then lightning hits the tree and destroys it, and the families are somehow reconciled. Beautiful story. ( )

Muna and her family fled their home in Lebanon during the war. While they were gone, Sameer, the neighbor boy, took care of their precious olive tree that had been in Muna's family for a hundred years. While gathering olives, Sameer would dream about the family that lived next door. He would imagine them returning and having a son that he could play with. One day, Sameer looked out and the family had returned. His excitement turned to sadness when he found the family had a daughter, not a son, and she was not interested in playing or being nice. As Sameer picked up the olives that the tree had dropped into his yard, he meets the neighbor girl who has no interest in sharing the olives off of HER tree. Sameer is disappointed and angry until one evening, everything changes.

This is a sweet story of friendship, forgiveness and sharing. I like that it is set in a different culture, which makes the story more unique and gives us something else to learn about and discuss with your child.

The illustrations are beautiful and look like water colors. I love how the illustrator added animals into the photos even though they have nothing to do with the story. Each photo is filled with details to keep your child interested in the pictures as much as the story.

This is an excellent picture book to share with your child. The lesson it shares can apply to all of us. ( )

When Lebanon was wracked by war, some families stayed and some fled. Sameer’s family kept an eye on the house next door, and enjoyed the fruit dropped by the olive tree between their properties. Muna’s family fled. But now they’re home.

While Sameer longs for a new playmate to climb the tree with him, Muna’s more concerned to keep things safe and right, and hang on to what’s hers. And the olive tree, that could unite them, has grown on her side of the fence.

Author Elsa Marston never explains why Muna’s family fled, or why they might seem unfriendly on their return. What readers see is what a child will see, illustrated with haunting simplicity by Claire Ewart, and described with smoothly lyrical writing and voice. When Sameer is told he can’t enjoy the olives anymore, he lets them rot on the ground, and nothing more is said, no argument... until the storm.

Two families, separated by an olive tree, are united in the end by surprising kindness when nature takes a hand. Meanwhile readers gain a glimpse into a different culture, a smile from a different world, and a wonderful story of sharing, forgiveness and hope to offer to children everywhere.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from the publisher and I offer my honest review. It’s a beautiful book! ( )