On a hot day, how wonderful it is to be able to sit outside in the shade of a tree! And how terrible to be deprived of the opportunity by one person’s greed and selfishness.

In The Shade Tree, renowned picture book creator Suzy Lee retells a traditional Korean folk tale. As the story goes, a young traveler comes to join a group of villagers in the shade of a big, old tree only for them all to be told to leave by a rich local landowner. The tree, we learn, grows in his fields, and the landowner also lays claim to the shade it casts.

The young traveler is not to be outdone, however. He purchases the shade from the rich man and generously shares it with the villagers. It’s a savvy purchase for, as we all know, shadows change in length depending on the position of the sun. While there may only be a small patch of shade under the tree at noon when the sun is high in the sky, come the early evening it can stretch much further. In this case right into the rich man’s house, which opens up a whole new question of ownership and occupancy. (You’ll have to read the book to find out how the story ends.)

The straightforward text is enhanced by simple, striking illustrations in just a few colors (primarily green, blue and purple) and plenty of white space. The figures in the story are depicted with bold, black brushstrokes reminiscent of calligraphy. And the gently curving rooftop of the rich man’s house reminds the reader of The Shade Tree’s Korean folk tale origins.

The Shade Tree is a beautifully illustrated retelling of a traditional tale that contrasts greed with generosity, selfishness with altruism, and shows which approach brings happiness to the majority at the end of the day.

The Shade Tree
Written and illustrated by Suzy Lee
Translated from Korean by Helen Mixter
Published by Aldana Libros/Greystone Books, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-77840-019-3 (Ebook)

Reviews: Kirkus (starred review), School Library Journal, Quill & Quire

You can buy a copy of The Shade Tree here or find it in a library, here.*

*Book purchases made via our affiliate link may earn GLLI a small commission at no cost to you.

Laura Taylor previously posted at Planet Picture Book, a world children’s literature blog she founded in 2017. She is a small business copywriter, NAATI-certified translator of French into English and member of AUSIT. When she is not writing, she is reading and spending time with her two young children. She occasionally tweets @plapibo