In a letter to his three children who are visiting their grandparents, a father recalls all the wonderful things Steve the tree has been to their family.

When they visited the empty lot where they would build their house, Sari, the youngest, couldn't say tree, so she said "Steve." Thus, a family friend was dubbed. He was perfect for shade and hanging laundry when the dryer broke. He even held a hammock for Uncle Chester and drank all the sewer water when the sump backed up. Being a tree has its dangers, and a storm knocked Steve down. Friend to the last, Steve didn't fall on the house, doghouse, swing set or garden. Dad's writing to warn the kids that Steve won't greet them when they return, but his lumber has made a wonderful new playhouse.

Another lesson in goodbyes. ( )

This story is about a tree that was originally supposed to get cut down to build a house for a family. The children in the family grew fond of the tree and named it Steve so the parents had the builders leave the tree standing. As the children grow up, the tree plays a part in many of their milestone moments until the tree falls over in a storm. The parents then used the wood from the tree to build a play house for the kids.
Ages: 3-5
Source: Teaching Strategies Gold Boxed Curriculum

A great book about how a family falls in love with a tree that they don't cut down to help build their house but use it for a nice place to go and play and dance until it is ruined by a disaster. ( )

I like the way father telling his children the story of how tree became a family. I like the origin of how the tree named Steve because one of the children could not pronounce tree. Steve, the tree was everything to the children. The children also experience how trees got cut down due to the storm. In the book, the author describes Steve as almost human. For example, the tree was crying; it looked nervous by children.
I can read this book from Pre-K to 2nd grade.
Source: FP ELC Reading Book Collection (Teaching Strategies Gold) ( )