Review - The Pear Tree

The Pear Tree
by Luli Gray
illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight
Date: 2019
Publisher: Penny Candy Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

In this retelling of an old folktale, an old woman named Esperanza (originally called Tia Miseria) gives her last pear to a beggar and is rewarded with the best pear crop she's ever had--and the power to ensnare anyone she wants in her tree. When Señor Death comes for her, Esperanza tricks him into climbing her tree, where he becomes stuck, unable to come down and do his work. From that point on, no one dies. But when Esperanza learns that the end of death doesn't mean the end of suffering, she agrees to let Señor Death down from her tree. The final work by legendary children's author Luli Gray. An afterword by the publisher encourages children and adults to consider why the author may have changed the story the way she did.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The afterword of this book, explaining how and why the author changed the original story, is one of the most interesting things about it. That's not to say that it can't stand up on its own; it's a decent folktale about a personified Death and a wily woman who outwits him.

The illustrations are quite lovely, and work well with the story. Everything from the pear tree to the characters are nicely rendered in colourful detail.

In the original story, the woman represented misery; here, she represents hope. It seems like a no-brainer, and I'm not sure why nobody ever thought of doing that before. After all, who wants to read a story about death and misery? (Not very appealing topics for a children's book, are they?)

Overall, this is a nice folktale retelling with fresh illustrations and a welcome twist on the original story. Fans of folktales and other stories that explain the "whys" of the world will probably enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penny Candy Books for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5