A varied cast of eccentric animal characters inhabits The Tree That Was a World, a hilariously irreverent and enchantingly strange book of short stories by Dutch author Yorick Goldewijk, translated into English by Laura Watkinson (Movies Showing Nowhere), and illustrated by Jeska Verstegen (I'll Keep You Close).
A tree "as old as the world" and "as big as the world" grows in a fog-swept forest, its branches filled with the secret lives and stories of a hidden community of creatures. A sloth sneaks out of the tree at night for some sprinting, gymnastics, and "lots of lovely screaming" away from prying eyes. A caterpillar learns a valuable lesson when she follows her heart and does not metamorphose. A stick tries to pass itself off as a stick insect, a spider cannot bring himself to eat the flies he catches, and a young aphid cannot stop herself from nibbling her siblings. The vignettes coalesce in a story about a party the animals hold to celebrate the tree, their shared home, and the companionship they have found with each other, except perhaps "those snooty pikes in the lake."
Verstegen's airy illustrations evoke the damp, cool air, filtered sunlight, and deep, soft night shadows of a forest. Her animal characters appear realistic, with occasional anthropomorphic props such as a table of place settings. Mirth, absurdism, and deep meaning entwine in Goldewijk's surreal fables. Middle-grade and adult readers who love humor, grace, and depth should enjoy this gem. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager, Allen County Public Library