LEAF ME ALONE!

Have you ever wondered if trees have moods? Well, the Tree in this story does. He is always in a grumpy mood...

He does not want animals building homes on him, so when squirrel, bluebird, and spider move into his branches, he demands rent. The rent is in the form of a favor. When the children on the school playground cause problems for Tree, he sends his animal tenants to get back at them.

Eventually, Tree's friend Bluebird teaches him a song that helps him calm down and make better choices. As a teacher, I hope this song is helpful for teachers and their young students.

The tree finally learns that making better choices means making more friends. Ultimately, Tree feels proud that he can be a house for animals.

This is a perfect social-emotional intelligence handbook for your little ones. It helps kids understand and manage their big feelings (anger, irritability, fear, and jealousy).

Ultimately, this book has an underlying spiritual message. The tree is born unhappy with its surroundings. He has moods and goes through experiences on the playground. As he grows, his ego gets bigger. He needs the help of Bluebird to keep his ego from creating more problems. Bluebird represents his consciousness in this story, but Tree also has a light in his trunk. This light represents his eternal soul. Though he is turned into a barn, his light continues in a new form.