The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer and illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig was not what I expected. I think I assumed it would be a lot darker than it was, but oddly enough, it is a hopeful introduction to the subject and one that does offset the darkness of the situation and times. Perhaps things are a bit more poetic than the actual events were (a teacher in Terezin risks her life to ask another prisoner (also risking their life) to bring back a piece of a tree so the children could nurture it), it does convey how even in a middle of a prison there is something to hold onto and things are worth risking everything for.
The illustrations also show this contradiction of dark and light as on opposite pages we can have two different images: the evil and the beauty facing off. Things can be a bit busy, even crowded, but not necessarily a distraction. The imagery allows us to get the bigger picture slowly and not all forced on us at once. While not a character themselves, the illustrations support things, but also tell you what is happening. There are several dark and telling images that are bleak, but they are overshadowed by the lighter imagery that is showing the care the children take of their sapling.
It is a good story that proves that good can survive among the horrors and it grows like the tree has, by leaving a legacy in stories but also pieces of it have been planted around the world. While it is for most readers, sensitive readers might find it a bit intense. The author is also the author of Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust.