REVIEW – Sally Sapling by Sarah-Leigh Wills
‘The little tree with a BIG history’
Sally Sapling is the story of a little copper beech tree, Sally. It follows her through her life, starting from a sapling all the way through to a wisely aged, one-hundred-year-old tree. The book takes the reader on a walk through history in Sally’s shoes (or, roots?!), showing us everything that she witnesses in her impressive life-span. Beginning with the Suffragettes, to man landing on the moon, up until the modern day, it creates a pleasant tour through the past in a light-hearted and interesting way.
It’s a smart way to introduce kids to important historical moments and key milestones, such as women gaining the vote, the world wars, and the man on the moon without having to go into overwhelming details whilst they’re still young. It provides them with context on the world without the gory information they don’t need until they’re older.
‘Over the years Sally had not changed, / She just took in all that she saw’
About halfway through the short book, there was a slight tonal change as, through Sally’s perspective, we see the rise in electronics, and people in Sally’s park taking less notice of their surroundings and being less appreciative of nature. Alongside history, it introduces the concept of global warming and the importance of taking care of our planet and appreciating the world around us – because it is our home. Doing so through an observer such as Sally creates a sense of empathy – why would we not want to look after our world? Why would we want to make Sally sad, who takes care of us so well? Once again, Sarah-Leigh Wills introduces a sometimes difficult topic in an accessible and kind way.
‘The world is dramatically changing, / It’s time we start to DO, / We share this space together, / Animals, plants, and humans, too.’
Upon opening the book, I was immediately blown away by the most gorgeous and sweet artwork! This is a book I’d have been obsessed with as a child! Even now, I had fun picking out all the little details – a cute smiley face on a stem (which, as I read on, I figured out was Sally), mushrooms nestled into grass, a reoccurring bushy-tailed squirrel. And, my favourite part, the little black cat that appears on almost every page – it created a fun little spotting game that only adds to the reading adventure.
The prose consists of ABAB couplet rhyme, crafting an easy and fun rhythm for your little ones to be entranced by. It’s written simply, in an easy-to-follow manner, creating a soothing bedtime tale.
This was a delightful little book that I had the upmost pleasure of reading. Revolving around two topics I hold dear – nature and history – this is a story I’ll be sure to share with the little ones in my life. I can’t wait to read this with my niece!
