*Otto and the Story Tree by Vivien Mildenberger

Otto and the Story Tree is a winsome reminder of the importance and power of stories, both for the hearer and the teller.

*Otto and the Story Tree by Vivien Mildenberger. Random House, 2025. 40 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

Otto, a stork, “was a cranky old bird.” The signs in front of his house (on the endpapers!) make this clear: “No Entry Without Permission.” “No Trespassing.” “Do Not Ring or Knock.” And so forth.

But Otto is also a lonely old bird, and one night he sees a small sprout on the floor in front of him. You probably don’t have enough dirt in your house to enable a seed to sprout, but Otto has quit caring: “Ack! What’s the point!”

When Otto spies the seed, a curious thing happens. He starts telling it a story: “I’ve seen some marvelous things in my day….” In the morning, the seedling looks a little bit bigger. Day after day, the routine continues until one day, the seedling has become a strong tree, growing out of Otto’s roof! The tree isn’t the only thing listening to Otto’s stories….

As you might expect, the seedling also isn’t the only thing growing in this charming tale. Otto’s heart grows too. How do we know? Check the endpapers at the back of the book. The illustrations in this book are fascinating: echoing Otto’s stories and mood in dreamlike quality. They remind me of several French picture books that have been translated into English. Children will find them interesting, particularly since the media echoes much of what children themselves use (it looks like crayons and colored pencils in some places). All in all, this is a striking and lovely exploration of the power of telling stories. We’re commanded in Scripture to tell the next generation of the “marvelous things we’ve seen in our day,” aren’t we? Let Otto inspire us to begin.

Bottom Line: Look for Otto and the Story Tree at your local library (although teachers and librarians may want a copy of this for their classrooms!).

*indicates a starred review (the best of the best in its field)

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Review: Miss Prim Goes Wild — another picture book celebrating an older character’s awakening to beauty and friendship.
• Review: All in a Drop — starred review for this picture book biography illustrated by Mildenberger
• Review: Go Forth and Tell — a picture book biography about a real life storyteller

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