“A Newfoundland Maple” is completely and utterly charming. It was an absolute delight to read it to my child, this story of a stalwart maple tree that provides shelter and sustenance to all the animals of the forest. This Maple is a constant, something they can depend on as the seasons change - much as it is to Daniel and his grandfather as well, when they go fishing each year in the summer. This book is such a treasure and children and adults alike can appreciate both the story and the illustrations. I can say with confidence that “A Newfoundland Maple” will put down roots in our home and provide entertainment to my kids for years and years to come.-- Nicole's Reviews --

I knew from the get-go that this book would be about more than just a boy and a tree when I turned the page to see a very powerful image; that of an old, withered, experienced hand gently touching the bark of the staunch and dependable maple. This illustration was a powerful reminder of the strength of these two living monuments and our dependence on them both. Just as the maple provides sustenance to the moose and her calf, shelter to the beaver and caribou, and a resting place for the bluejays the grandfather is the fountain of wisdom, knowledge, patience and perspective. Likewise, it was not lost on me that the illustrator of "A Newfoundland Maple" is Dawn Baker, author and illustrator of 8 children's books and mother to the author, Samantha. The images are vivid and captivating, a kaleidoscope of color. Young readers will delight in the illustrations and will have an opportunity to revisit the beauty in these pages by looking for a variety of insects, birds and wildlife that the illustrator has "hidden" throughout the pages of this little piece of Canadiana. This book would serve as a wonderful read aloud to primary children and especially fits well with the Grade One Newfoundland Science curriculum on seasonal changes. "A Newfoundland Maple" is a timeless story and suitable for both the young and young at heart.-- Stephanie Collins - Fireside Collections --

The depictions are both realistic and engaging.-- Joan Sullivan - The Telegram --

Illustrator Dawn Baker’s carefully rendered illustrations capture the creatures of western Newfoundland realistically. This does much to deepen Samantha Baker’s work which relies on the non-fictive elements of what could happen to one tree. The inclusion of Daniel’s storyline helps anchor readers’ interest in what might otherwise be simply an exploration of any maple tree. By including one child and his grandfather’s relationship to a tree, it becomes far more believable that this tree is worthy of our interest and speculation. The final spread features snapshots of other animals and insects the reader can go looking for in the previous pages – a particularly effective way to deepen reader engagement with one Newfoundland maple.-- CM: Canadian Review of Materials --