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The Land of Stories #Companion Picture Book
The Curvy Tree: A Tale from the Land of Stories
The debut picture book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who didn't quite fit in. When she runs away, she happens upon a curvy tree who helps her understand the importance of being different! This picture book stands alone, but also plays an important role in the Land of Stories series--making this a must-have book for fans and new readers alike!
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who didn't quite fit in. When she runs away, she happens upon a curvy tree who helps her understand the importance of being different! This picture book stands alone, but also plays an important role in the Land of Stories series--making this a must-have book for fans and new readers alike!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
About the author
Chris Colfer
50 books10.6k followersChris Colfer is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor best-known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the FOX television series "Glee".
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
February 27, 2018
„Poate că te crezi altfel și te simți singură, dar într-o bună zi te vei face mare și vei afla că poți găsi mulți prieteni dacă privești în depărtare. Nu are niciun rost să plângi căci, după cum vezi, fiecare pădure își are propriul copac strâmb.”
May 9, 2017
Okay, I sort of read TLoS series and now I really want to read them all in order. This was so sweet. It follows a little girl who is different and gets teased by the other children. Then she meets a curvy tree that explains to her, that being different is a good thing and that she is not alone. I can heavily related to the little girl's struggles, which I rarely find in picture books.
November 10, 2015
Fafa's Book Corner (Wordpress)
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)
Edit: There are some errors in this review. Apparently the girl in this story is not Goldilocks but an unnamed character. Please ignore my rant about Goldilocks. Thanks to Alex on GR for pointing it out to me!
This is going to be a short review because there isn't a lot I can about a picture book. When I first saw the title announced a year back I was so excited! I was hoping to read about The Enchantress/Ezmia or John Bailey the twins father with the curvy tree. Once the cover was released I was surprised to see Goldilocks with the curvy tree. Nonetheless I decided to read it.
The book starts off with Goldilocks crying and running away. She is not paying attention to her surroundings and eventually stops to cry on a tree. When she hears a voice she looks up to see the curvy tree. To her surprise the curvy tree starts speaking to her. She explains that some children were making fun of her and her glasses. The curvy tree then proceeds to explain her that he to was picked on when he was younger. Then one day some woodsmen came into the forest and cut down every tree but him. This was because they didn't know what they could possibly make with a curvy tree. The fact that he was different actually saved him. Goldilocks then finds inspiration from this and becomes the character we know her as.
While I have never liked Goldilocks her character didn't seem right in this story. For starters I'm pretty sure that she has never needed glasses. It wouldn't really be easy to go on the run with glasses. I know that she is a kid in this book but she still doesn't seem the type of person to be bothered with what people say about her. And she learnt to be brave from Hagetta not the curvy tree.
The pictures were lovely! While the characters weren't drawn that well their surroundings were! I liked the curvy tree story of course. Overall this was a good book! I recommend it to fans of the series and fans of picture books.
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)
Edit: There are some errors in this review. Apparently the girl in this story is not Goldilocks but an unnamed character. Please ignore my rant about Goldilocks. Thanks to Alex on GR for pointing it out to me!
This is going to be a short review because there isn't a lot I can about a picture book. When I first saw the title announced a year back I was so excited! I was hoping to read about The Enchantress/Ezmia or John Bailey the twins father with the curvy tree. Once the cover was released I was surprised to see Goldilocks with the curvy tree. Nonetheless I decided to read it.
The book starts off with Goldilocks crying and running away. She is not paying attention to her surroundings and eventually stops to cry on a tree. When she hears a voice she looks up to see the curvy tree. To her surprise the curvy tree starts speaking to her. She explains that some children were making fun of her and her glasses. The curvy tree then proceeds to explain her that he to was picked on when he was younger. Then one day some woodsmen came into the forest and cut down every tree but him. This was because they didn't know what they could possibly make with a curvy tree. The fact that he was different actually saved him. Goldilocks then finds inspiration from this and becomes the character we know her as.
While I have never liked Goldilocks her character didn't seem right in this story. For starters I'm pretty sure that she has never needed glasses. It wouldn't really be easy to go on the run with glasses. I know that she is a kid in this book but she still doesn't seem the type of person to be bothered with what people say about her. And she learnt to be brave from Hagetta not the curvy tree.
The pictures were lovely! While the characters weren't drawn that well their surroundings were! I liked the curvy tree story of course. Overall this was a good book! I recommend it to fans of the series and fans of picture books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2020
This was a cute little picture book and had a good lesson with it.
April 15, 2016
It's too bad Goodreads doesn't have negative stars...because this would be about a negative two...maybe negative three.
The message of "it gets better" is a laudable one. However, it has been treated far better elsewhere. The illustrations are lush and attractive enough (even though they do not match the text). It's the story and the prose itself that make this not worth the poor curly trees that had to die to print it; and really the author and Little Brown should be ashamed of what they have "created" here.
The prose is about as dull and unimaginative as it can get. The student authors (grades 3 to 7) in the writing class I teach write more vividly and with more care. Here's a quote from the book "Most of the woods had been cleared out by loggers, but in the very center of all the stumps was a curvy tree standing alone. He was different from all the other trees she had ever seen...The little girl was so sad, she didn't even notice the strange tree." So she saw it, judged it different from all other trees she'd seen..but didn't notice it.
The tree consoles the bullied girl and lifts her up to show her other curly trees far off with kids in their branches, and she leaps to the conclusion that those kids are just like her. I guess they ARE also in trees, but that is about all she can know about them.
Passive voice, mind-numbingly plain prose, facile solutions to real problems...We all know publishing is a business but putting out product like this does more than kill trees...it insults the intelligence of sophisticated young readers.
The message of "it gets better" is a laudable one. However, it has been treated far better elsewhere. The illustrations are lush and attractive enough (even though they do not match the text). It's the story and the prose itself that make this not worth the poor curly trees that had to die to print it; and really the author and Little Brown should be ashamed of what they have "created" here.
The prose is about as dull and unimaginative as it can get. The student authors (grades 3 to 7) in the writing class I teach write more vividly and with more care. Here's a quote from the book "Most of the woods had been cleared out by loggers, but in the very center of all the stumps was a curvy tree standing alone. He was different from all the other trees she had ever seen...The little girl was so sad, she didn't even notice the strange tree." So she saw it, judged it different from all other trees she'd seen..but didn't notice it.
The tree consoles the bullied girl and lifts her up to show her other curly trees far off with kids in their branches, and she leaps to the conclusion that those kids are just like her. I guess they ARE also in trees, but that is about all she can know about them.
Passive voice, mind-numbingly plain prose, facile solutions to real problems...We all know publishing is a business but putting out product like this does more than kill trees...it insults the intelligence of sophisticated young readers.
January 18, 2018
This little girl doesn't fit in. We all can relate to that! I know I can!
She runs away and finds a Talking Tree that relates how he was never able to fit in either.
The Curvy Tree and the little girl, share a wonderful and powerful moment, where she discovers she is not alone.
"The Curvy Tree scooped up the little girl. He raised her high into the sky so she could see for herself. In the distance, all around them, were dozens of curvy trees in other forests. They all waved and smiled at the little girl. And standing on their branches were other children."
An important lesson to be learned in life; this book is a keeper!
The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and add to the wonder of this most important life lesson!
She runs away and finds a Talking Tree that relates how he was never able to fit in either.
The Curvy Tree and the little girl, share a wonderful and powerful moment, where she discovers she is not alone.
"The Curvy Tree scooped up the little girl. He raised her high into the sky so she could see for herself. In the distance, all around them, were dozens of curvy trees in other forests. They all waved and smiled at the little girl. And standing on their branches were other children."
An important lesson to be learned in life; this book is a keeper!
The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and add to the wonder of this most important life lesson!
January 7, 2016
A really cute, short children's book. The illustrations are quite good and fitting for the curvy tree. :)
November 4, 2015
So cute!!
August 21, 2017
So freaking cute! I just about cried at the end! Why didn't I have this book growing up?!
July 3, 2021
Cute, heartwarming short story.
July 26, 2021
Quick read. One of folk tale from The Land Of Story's world
The illustrations is on point , love it❤️
The illustrations is on point , love it❤️
June 16, 2022
minunată ♡
August 1, 2017
This was a really short read with barely one paragraph on each page but it was nice to have another story from The Land of Stories series. I really loved the illustrations!
October 27, 2015
This story strikes a careful balance between celebrating what makes you unique and telling kids that they're not alone in the world just because they're different.
The curvy tree survives because he's unique. The loggers don't cut him down because his wood isn't straight enough to build anything out of. But when he grows tall enough to see into other forests, he finds that he's not the only curvy tree in the world. The little girl, who feels alone and friendless in her village because she's different from the other kids, climbs the curvy tree's branches and sees that there are kids like her all over the place, waiting to be her friends.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the story is well told for a preschool child to understand. It's a wonderful addition to my kids' bookshelf, especially for my son who is a little bit different himself.
The curvy tree survives because he's unique. The loggers don't cut him down because his wood isn't straight enough to build anything out of. But when he grows tall enough to see into other forests, he finds that he's not the only curvy tree in the world. The little girl, who feels alone and friendless in her village because she's different from the other kids, climbs the curvy tree's branches and sees that there are kids like her all over the place, waiting to be her friends.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the story is well told for a preschool child to understand. It's a wonderful addition to my kids' bookshelf, especially for my son who is a little bit different himself.
October 29, 2015
If you have children now or in the future: Make sure you read them this story before they go to bed!
It's adorable and more importantly it could be a safe haven for kids who feel completely alone and left out because of cruel circumstances (such as bullying, not feeling pretty/smart/good enough etc …)
I needed a curvy tree when I was younger and I'm sure this little book can make a difference in many young lives. They'll learn that they aren't alone. And that maybe it's hard now but that they can be exactly what they want to be: unapologetic themselves - when they aren't in an environment that tells them to be a certain way (aka school).
That's a theme in Chris' books and I love that he transformed this important message into a picture book for a really young audience.
A wonderful story.
It's adorable and more importantly it could be a safe haven for kids who feel completely alone and left out because of cruel circumstances (such as bullying, not feeling pretty/smart/good enough etc …)
I needed a curvy tree when I was younger and I'm sure this little book can make a difference in many young lives. They'll learn that they aren't alone. And that maybe it's hard now but that they can be exactly what they want to be: unapologetic themselves - when they aren't in an environment that tells them to be a certain way (aka school).
That's a theme in Chris' books and I love that he transformed this important message into a picture book for a really young audience.
A wonderful story.
November 9, 2015
The Curvy Tree is a story that first appears in Chris Colfer's The Land of Stories series. The story is a simple one of a girl who does not 'fit in' learning that she is not alone. It is illustrated by Brandon Dorman, who also illustrated The Land of Stories.
The writing is simple and while there are a couple of places where the word choice feels awkward, it is a great little book for young children and fans of the The Land of Stories series alike.
The writing is simple and while there are a couple of places where the word choice feels awkward, it is a great little book for young children and fans of the The Land of Stories series alike.
Read
December 29, 2019Bought this kid’s picture book as soon as it came out in the midst of my Chris Colfer/Land of Stories obsession a few years ago, and only just read it now. Don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it when it literally took 5 minutes to read, but also it’s a bit weird to have bought a picture book just for myself, an adult, isn’t it... I don’t really have any thoughts on the book other than it’s clearly meant to teach kids to celebrate their uniqueness, so hopefully it’s successful in doing that - might give it to my toddler niece or something?! And yay, now I’ve technically started and finished *two* books this year :P
October 14, 2020
Aw, what a cute book!
The story is about a girl who doesn't fit in and is suffering because other kids are always making sure she knows she doesn't belong. Then she meets a curious tree that tells her that there's hope.
The illustration is beautiful, the story is uplifting. I enjoyed it. If only I could read it with little kids. I wonder how they'd interpret it. And if they'll like it too.
The story is about a girl who doesn't fit in and is suffering because other kids are always making sure she knows she doesn't belong. Then she meets a curious tree that tells her that there's hope.
The illustration is beautiful, the story is uplifting. I enjoyed it. If only I could read it with little kids. I wonder how they'd interpret it. And if they'll like it too.
February 10, 2016
A classic tale of "be proud of your differences because some day everyone will die but you" and "only the people who are exactly like you can be your friends".
Okay, I'm exaggerating but…yeah. It's cute and okay but not much more.
Okay, I'm exaggerating but…yeah. It's cute and okay but not much more.
Read
May 20, 2014Can't wait ............... Marked it as to-read
June 20, 2021
Loved it! Cute book about being different
October 29, 2015
This is a very sweet companion book to Colfer's The Land of Stories series, but it stands well on its own, too, with a great message. The illustrations are gorgeously done.
November 17, 2015
A picture book that's based in the world of the Land of Stories-- a cute and simple story about a girl who doesn't fit in.
August 8, 2023
It's not just a storybook but -- to some -- a literary event. "The Curvy Tree" was the first picture book by Chris Colfer, the prolific-and-popular children's book author of the "Land of Stories" series.
Pictures dominate the story, but when you come to the relatively few words from the author? They're superb. The writing is STRONG. For instance, after the heroine encounters a talking tree, he asks why she's crying. They enter into a getting-to-the-point-right-away type of conversation. After she tells her story, the tree smiles and talks to her:
"That's silly," the tree said. "I'm just a tree and even I can see that isn't true. Those village children would be lucky to have a friend like you."
Then follows a beautiful, enobling story within the story.
FIVE STARS to wise author Chris Colfer, and also to brilliant illustrator Brandon Dorman.
Pictures dominate the story, but when you come to the relatively few words from the author? They're superb. The writing is STRONG. For instance, after the heroine encounters a talking tree, he asks why she's crying. They enter into a getting-to-the-point-right-away type of conversation. After she tells her story, the tree smiles and talks to her:
"That's silly," the tree said. "I'm just a tree and even I can see that isn't true. Those village children would be lucky to have a friend like you."
Then follows a beautiful, enobling story within the story.
FIVE STARS to wise author Chris Colfer, and also to brilliant illustrator Brandon Dorman.
January 27, 2022
This picture book by Chris Colfer is a truly remarkable book. It tells the story of a little girl who is sad because she is lonely and does not have any friends. She runs into the forest and cries. She then meets a tree with a curvy trunk and branches. The tree tells her that what made the tree different is what stopped it from getting cut down. This is a truly amazing book to teach kids that differences are okay. I would use this as a lesson and have kids write "Like the curvy tree, I am different. What makes me different is..." Or something like that. This would show my young students to be kind to everyone because we are all different.
January 2, 2022
Moje první přečtená knížka v angličtině! Má to asi dvacet stránek a stálo to šest stovek, ale patří to k mé nejoblíbenější sérii, tak proč ne. Je to povzbuzující “pohádka”, kterou jednou budu číst svým dětem. Ale pokud pro vás není Země příběhů srdcová záležitost, asi si to stejně nekoupíte.
August 27, 2022
A fairy tale-type story with the theme of being different and unhappy. A little girl runs into the forest to be alone and meets a curvy tree. The tree convinces her to be strong and be herself and she will be appreciated someday as he was in a forest of other trees unlike him.
December 26, 2017
Great message!
February 10, 2018
As told in the original series. A sweet fairytale spinoff story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews