Yuly, Toni. Jelly Bean Tree, The. Toni Yuly, Illus. Picture Book. Feiwel, 06/2017. 40pp. $17.99. 978-1-250-09406-3. OUTSTANDING. GRADES PRE-K.
Jelly Bean is a blue giraffe who loves napping among tall trees with her head resting on a branch. After a particularly long snooze, adorable doe-eyed Jelly Bean wakes up to discover a bird nest has been built on her head, so she pretends to be a tree and waits for the eggs to hatch in a plot reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches the Egg (Random, 1940). Meanwhile, her friends—a pink elephant, a green turtle, and a tiny red dachshund—bring her food, flowers, and entertainment. Yuly’s playful story of kindness, generosity, and community will delight toddlers and preschoolers with its creative sense of imaginative play. Yuly’s vibrantly imaginative artwork of torn tissue paper and mixed-media collages of fabric scraps and twine feel spontaneous, whimsical, and totally original. This will quickly become a librarian’s favorite at storytime and a child’s favorite at bedtime. April Hayley, San Anselmo Public Library