The Tallest Tree House by Elly MacKay is one of those books where what you put into it is what you take out of it. You will either really like it, or be “eh, that’s nice.”
The Tallest Tree House is a sweet story about friendship and the theme of “a place and time for everything.” And the time to build a tree house is now. But two friends have unique ways of going about making one. One plans and the other rushes about without thinking. Yet, when danger strikes, fast thinking might just be the answer they need.
The story has been done before (the different styles of friends are shown to be important at the right time), yet there is also a fresh feel to it. This is mostly because of the amazing illustrations of MacKay. They move the story along with rich, bold colors that are at the same time not over powering and are sleek, smooth and comforting. Yet, they also show the adventures at hand (you feel/see the tree house swaying in the wind as the storm hits). They are modern with a classic hint of a Scandinavian folklore/folktale feeling. There is also a feeling of and look of the old Serendipity series from the early 1980s. While those books were Christian and had a strong, obvious message, this message is slightly subtler.
Artwork is frameable for a child’s nursery. The fun pixie and fantasy creatures are relatable but do not look like any one type of person. If you have a fan of fairies or a good story this will work. Is aimed at a slightly older audience, but can be adapted for younger by just reading the images.