Maddie’s Magic Tree
by
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A surprise arrives one morning when another meadow friend approaches the greenery of the young tree. A young fawn, whose nose had been deeply buried in the melting snow as it searched for signs of food, bumps into the Pine tree’s trunk. The fawn quickly stepped back a few steps and looked at what caused the scrape on its nose. Maddie was at a quiet distance away and watches the sudden bumping between fawn and Pine tree. She waits for the fawn to leap away to a safer distance. Instead, it remains in a shocked position as it lengthened its stare toward the young tree. Immediately after the fawn had scraped its nose on the hard earth by the tree, it spots a sign of greenery only half hidden by the thin layer of melting snow. It quickly nibbles up a bit of the tasty moss. Maddie begins to wonder if these little animal friends were experiencing what she had inwardly felt when she had first become aware of the snow covered young growth. She remembered how it had reached out with two freed branches to almost hug her. Her little Pine tree had something special about it from the very beginning. Maddie was becoming restless with suspicious feelings. She wonders what it is about the tree that causes the animals from the meadow to remain under its spell rather than dart off toward their own meadow safety. She finds herself slowly believing that a silent conversation was taking place between the animal creatures and the tree but which the human ear could not hear. She just knows in her heart that something special had taken place. So far, a pair of chipmunks, a fawn and a fox seemed to have come under a magic spell from between and beneath the branches of the Pine tree. Each visit had led them to food. Maddie falls asleep each night peacefully remembering the special meetings between the animals and her once snow covered little friend.
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About the Book
“Maddie’s Magic Tree” is the story of a young girl’s love for animals and nature. She excitedly sees the first white, winter’s snowflakes as she rises from bed. She rushes out into the surrounding meadow and meets the hero of the story, a young Pine tree heavily covered in snow with a magic wave to Maddie as she relieves the tree from the white burden on its branches, a group of animals and birds all receiving magical gifts from the tree, and a spying Maddie from behind a tree that magically sends animals to successfully find food during the winter. Magic! Magic! Magic! The author inspires children from the goodness in the story of the kindness of the Magic tree in silently guiding the animals to find food for themselves and their family, and the love and caring heart of Maddie in wanting to keep the animals safe and fed through the winter. The gratitude of the animals toward the tree when they find needed food and the outpouring of love in the gifts with which they decorate the tree become the loving symbol of their love for the tree. This story can be a channel to strengthen love, gratitude, kindnes and caring in the minds of young children. How was “Magic” shown in the story? Why was Maddie always so worried? What does the last illustration show us about loving each other? Why was Maddie so happy with her “hug?”
About the Author
As a young child, the author would race to the nearby library and return home with an armful of books. She would sit sidesaddle with legs hanging over the arm of the chair and with her peanut butter, marshmallow and jelly sandwich quickly become entranced into the world of animals and nature. She became a pal to Rex, the neighbor’s dog and they played in the fields across from her home. Rex became a “he” to her and not an “it.” She would ride her trusted bike, “Betsy” a long distance to the zoo at the city’s edge and ride around the paths of the animal cages feeling sorry for them because they were taken away from their lives’ habitats. Years later when she became an author, she would watch Maddie feed the ducks who had waddled across the street from the nearby pond. The bunnies would appear from the bushes to get some of the “goodies” from her also. Finally, the plants would also be taken care of as she would nip off the inner part in the center of the flowers to allow them to continue a healthy growth. In the story, Maddie discovers the little half buried tree and brushes off the snow from its branches causing them to thrust themselves toward her and setting her up for a hug. She secretly watches the animals find food from the “Magic” of the tree. The readers’ hearts will be deeply touched where the animals give back to the tree something of their own in gratitude for what the tree has done for them. In the beautiful, final scene Maddie is smiling as she remembers her very first Magical Hug!