Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses

I just read this excellent book, Up in the Leaves, with my 6-year-old daughter – and we both loved it! It’s the inspiring true story of a boy who secretly built treehouses in New York City’s Central Park, and of what became of him as he grew – and as his treehouses became increasingly more elaborate and marvelous.The text reads like poetry, with lyrical repetitions and rhythms that carry the reader along. Author Shira Boss crafts each line beautifully, making every word count. Teachers will notice how much there is to highlight in Up in the Leaves, beyond just the terrific story. The book is chock-full of lovely figurative language, including metaphors (“Each tree was its own world, every limb an adventure”), similes, personification, and even onomatopoeia (“whoosh, whoosh,” “clang, bang”). Boss's descriptions are beautiful, and they’re joyfully brought to life by illustrator Jamey Christoph. It’s a truly gorgeous looking book. Teachers – and parents – can also explore many important themes through this story: on being yourself, pursuing your dreams, using your imagination, and connecting with nature.My daughter and I loved discussing this book – even talking about the beautiful language and what makes it so special and fun. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has or works with young children of any age. It is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, and is such a warm and lovely story. We’ll be enjoying Up in the Leaves in our home for many years to come!

Wow my son loves this book! He's only 18 months old and his attention span is not that long so I have to skip some parts but he loves the illustration (me too!) and the playful text and I love a lot of things in the story like the appreciation of nature, the perseverance, following and cultivating your passion and how the world just makes things work for you when you do that. I also like that it's a true story. I do feel like some of the pages could use a little work in terms of the text. Would definitely recommend!

Such a unique story! Bob is so inspiring and his wife shares his story with us beautifully. She describes what he felt and even better why he built tree houses in Centrl Park. How great it would be to easily climb a tree with such confidence and skill! This was visually beautiful and fun to read aloud. Highly recommended!

This was given to my daughter to be used in her classroom. The children enjoyed it very much. It made for ahappy day in school. Will be purchasing more of these type stories in the future.

Kids in class love it.

Use with junior high students as a way to promote career choice.

When my granddaughters gt this book the oldest one read it to the youngest one immediately. They live in NYC and have spent lot of time in Central Park and loved this story.

Wonderful story and Beautiful illustrations. My kids love it