The Tale of Three Trees- a traditional folktale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt Illustrations by Tim Jonke

"The Tale of Three Trees" tells stories of Christ Jesus through the ultimate uses of three simple trees in the forest. From the early life of the trees each tree wishes to be used and made into something grand and glorious. As the trees grow to maturity the dreams are squelched as woodcutters cut down the trees, but the description of how the wood is used from each tree points to parts of the story of Jesus. One of the trees was made into a manger, another tree made into a simple boat to carry Jesus and his friends, and another tree was cut into planks to form the cross on which Jesus died. In the end the reader realizes the trees were used for a greater good that that for which each had originally wished. The folktale had numerous underlying messages for the reader to discover about serving others and finding joyful meaning in life. The illustrations in this book revealed clear clues to the meaning of the text, and without them the reader would need to know the story of the life of Jesus to make the connections with the text. This folktale creatively tells a timeless story that can enrich a reader's understanding of serving others.