The Little Lemon Tree That Stood! is a nature story intended for 8-10 year olds and young-at-heart adults. My own view is that it should be read with an adult in order to elucidate the contents. In this sense it is an intergenerational book experience. The story touches on the need to care for our environment and each other. The story amplifies and observes some of nature's mysteries as they present themselves and life as it surrounds us as an extension of ourselves.

It is an appealing tale about a lemon tree who lives contentedly in a suburban garden and who reflects and seeks enlightenment on a variety of issues with the help of an elfin visitor who drops in from time to time and vanishes just as fast.

The elfin personality or "manikin" is a source of wisdom and knowledge for the lemon tree and hence, the young reader. In the course of their conversations, the lemon tree learns not only some vital facts about the environment, but also about history and biology, including its own origins.

The manikin teaches the lemon tree the meaning of some important new words and thus the story is gently didactic on more than one level while simultaneously allowing itself to entertain the reader with its old-fashioned charm and leisurely pace.

The illustrations are plentiful and delicately whimsical and lend an overall geniality to the story as a whole.

Essentially a beautifully illustrated, engaging and original story of the changing seasons. Accessible to young readers and also well suited for reading aloud, this book will stimulate curiosity and intrigue readers with its magical characters and absorbing images. Potentially difficult concepts are introduced in a way that ensures learning through pleasure.