The Tune Is In The Tree by Maud Hart Lovelace

177 pages
Published in 1950 by
Thomas Y. Crowell Company
New York, NY

The "tune is in the tree,"
The sceptic showeth
"No, sir! In thee!"
~ Emily Dickinson

Most readers who recognize the name Maud Hart Lovelace know it for her stories of Betsy, Tacy, and Tib. But in addition to the ten books in the Betsy-Tacy series, Maud Hart Lovelace also wrote three Deep Valley books, a countless number of short-stories and 11 other novels (ranging from children's stories to novels for adults).

The Tune Is In The Tree is one of these lesser-known eleven novels. Published the same year as Emily of Deep Valley, The Tune Is In The Tree is a children's fantasy story. It tells the story of a little girl named Annie Jo who spends the early months of one summer living with the birds while she waits for her father and mother's return.

The attentive reader will be rewarded by recognizing this story plot as one Betsy Ray decides to write in the final Betsy-Tacy book, Betsy's Wedding: "I think I'll write a story about a little girl going to live with the birds." While it's left to the reader to know if Betsy ever writes the story, Maud Hart Lovelace did in 1930, though it wasn't published for another two decades.

The Plot:
It all begins one evening when Mr. R. B. Robin discovers Annie Jo in the garden outside her cottage crying. Mr. R. B. Robin soon learns that Annie Jo is alone and uncertain of her parent's return. Her father, who earns his living as a pilot, has gone missing and her mother has left to find him. A neighbor was expected to come and take care of Annie Jo during her parents' absence, but a sprained ankle has kept the neighbor at home and now Annie Jo is alone. However with the special assistance of Miss Ruby, a hummingbird and a little magic straight out of a fairy-tale, Annie Jo is shrunk and given a pair of wings which permit her to go and live with Mr. R. B. Robin and his family and friends.

My thoughts:
The Tune Is In The Tree is a charming children's story that weaves subtle lessons in ornithology and nature with a fairy-tale perfect for any bedtime reading. The reader cannot help but cheer for Annie Jo as she learns to fly, or feel badly for the birds as they must face the "perfidious Mrs. Cowbird", and of course readers will wait with anticipation for the Oriel's Midsummer ball. The story's sweetness is only increased by the inclusion of black-and-white illustrations by Eloise Wilkins.

I first became familiar with the works of Eloise Wilkins as a child as she illustrated over 100 children's books, including several Golden Books. Her beautifully detailed and realistic drawings and paintings always seem to capture the essence of the story. And although the pictures within The Tune is in the Tree are all black-and-white they are just as delightful to the eye as any of her other works.

But then there's the bad news. As is the risk that must be run when reading an author long gone there is almost always a book or two that is out of print and difficult to locate. The Tune Is In The Tree is one such book. As far as I can tell it has been out of print for over fifty years and the only copies currently available range from $50-$250 a copy. And the value only increases as sellers realize the value of a Maud Hart Lovelace/Eloise Wilkins book. (Big sigh.) What a shame because this book is a treasure. But thanks to Inter Library Loan I was able to borrow a first edition copy to read. I can only hope the library will hang onto it long enough that I will be able to borrow it again in a couple years when my daughter will be old enough to enjoy it for herself.

In Summary
The Tune Is In The Tree is a delightful story for any young child, but especially those who have a love for fairies, animals, and make-believe. If you are so lucky as to have a library (or ILL) that possess a copy I highly recommend that you add it to your list to borrow and read.

As for me... I'll keep looking and wishing and hoping that one day it can be added to my own personal library. Who knows, maybe one day a publisher will reprint this work of art just as HarperCollins Publishers did with the Betsy-Tacy and Deep Valley books.

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Other Maud Hart Lovelace reviews

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is the story of Sam Gribley, a young boy, who runs away from his New York City home to live in the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains near his great-grandfather's abandoned farm. The story is told in the first person through a smooth balance of narration and journal entries. It begins in the midst of Sam's fist winter, flashes back to his arrival to the mountains in the previous spring and then follows Sam's initial survival and eventual settlement over the course of a full year.

As Ms. George states in her "author's preface" -- "Almost everyone I know has dreamed at some time of running away to a distant mountain or island, castle or sailing ship to live there in beauty and peace. Few of us make it, however it is one thing to wish to go, and another matter to do it..." I was just such a child -- I pretended I was running away, but never did. The very idea was for me and is for many children (and yes, even some adults) both exciting and intriguing. The idea succeeded in this novel.

For the most part, Ms. George's knowledge and research paid off. How Sam learned to survive: the food he ate, the friends he made, and the shelter and clothing he made were relatively believable. Not to say there weren't times when I had to suppress my disbelief. One such instance was the fact that Sam's parents let him run away and waited months before looking for him. I mean... they are loving parents, you can see that clearly in the story, but in real life what parent would let their child (be they 10, 12, 15, 18) run away and live in the wilderness without doing something after they didn't return home within hours? Was it that different fifty years ago? Or is it just part of the magic of the book? Such questions aside, My Side of the Mountain is an enjoyable and fascinating story. Ms. George's writing displays such creativity and resourcefulness in the character of Sam that it in turn sparked my own imagination in ways that haven't been explored in a long time.

Written in just two weeks My Side of the Mountain almost didn't make it to print. The editors felt publishing a story about a boy who was successful in running away from home was taboo. It wasn't until they looked at the story from a different angle that they realized what a clever and potentially successful book they had in their hands. This wasn't a story about a boy running away, this was a story about a boy running to the wilderness and learning to live off the land. My Side of the Mountain was published in the spring of 1959 and was a success. Not only did it earn Ms. George a Newbery Honor Award, but it also led her to write two sequels: On The Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain, and was loosely adapted to film in 1969.

I really liked this book and am interested to read the rest of the trilogy at some point in the future. This story makes for a great story to be read by any child (boy or girl), but might make for even more fun if read together with a parent or as a family.

Long ago I remember hearing about this book, but I'd never read it. I don't think I've even seen the film. However, after stumbling upon the book while browsing the youth/children's section of my local library I knew I had to read it. My copy, at 177 pages, was a quick read -- although life didn't allow me much reading time over the last several days, so it took me the entire week to finish. Because My Side of the Mountain is so widely read it is easily attained through libraries or bookstores and is inexpensive for anyone wishing to add it to their library.

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** Note: You can read more about Jean Craighead George, author of over 80 books by visiting her website here.