Jerry Halberstadt

Keren loves to chase and play with anything that moves, but can’t catch the birds. She is dogged—she won’t give up in her efforts to learn how to fly. To overcome the challenges, she recalls the teachings of her parents and the traditions of her desert-living Canaan ancestors. She turns to the experts in flight, the birds, seeking to learn the secret of flight. She studies, through observation, instruction, and practice, how to fly. Although she tries very hard, she still can’t fly, until one day, when she isn’t even trying to fly, she finds herself airborne. A story of determination and discovery, a fable of growth and change, and love of the natural world. Eighty-four luminous color photographs show Keren's adventures.… (meer)

“...entertaining, educational & just plain fun”
“...a book which continues to grow along with a child as he/she journeys through life and will bear fruit all along the way.”

A Tree for Max, an illustrated story for children, tells the story of Grandfather Apple Tree, the King and all the trees of the forest, messenger swans, and a dog, all cooperating to help a young boy, Max, obtain a tree to help him adjust to his new home. It is “...entertaining, educational & just plain fun”, a story of loss and discovery, a fable of growth and change, and love of the natural world.

Max is three and a half years old when his family moves to a new home, leaving behind his ‘forest’ — a stand of trees in their old yard. His forest becomes the focus of his feelings of disruption and loss related to the move. The forest sends the swans with a message to alert the King of the Trees about the problem. The King holds a conference and many species of trees compete to live with Max. Finally, Grandfather Apple Tree resolves the question, and an apple tree is sent to be a companion to Max.

The main characters are unusual even in books for children—an elm tree, forest trees, apple trees, swans, and a Canaan dog—and early readers are enthusiastic. The book is in a new long form, 131 pages with 64 luminous color photographs, yet despite the unusual length, young readers devour the book in one sitting, eager to find out if Max does indeed get a tree. Parents and grandparents may choose to read the book with younger children over a few bedtime sessions.

Ages: 4-6 as illustrated read-to book
5-7 as a read-alone (with help as needed)
Second grade and up, for classroom sharing and discussion. Editions: epub, mobi/kindle… (meer)

"A Tree for Max," an illustrated story for children, tells the story of trees, birds, and a dog cooperating to help a young boy, Max, obtain a tree to help him adjust to his new home. It is a story of loss and discovery, a fable of growth and change, and love of the natural world. It is suitable for children, their parents, and grandparents. “Just plain fun” 64 luminous photographs tell the story of an apple orchard in all seasons of the year, and animate the story with nature.

"What a wonderful book! My second-grade students loved it. We loved the photos and the concept. It sparked up a nice conversation about nature. I forwarded it to a few of my colleagues to share with their students. Personally I loved the book, probably in a different way than my students. The book has messages for both adults and children."… (meer)