When there’s someone stirring up trouble in Treeville, it takes an entire community to get to the bottom of it. Trouble in Treeville, published by Aperture Press, is an adorable children’s book written by Shirley Santilli and illustrated by her sister Lorrie Santilli Wolfinger that takes kids on a bird-inspired journey to find out who committed the crime.
Treeville is a town just like any other, but it’s located high among the Pine Trees and Maples and there are Bluejays for police officers, owls for judges, and Woodpeckers, Cardinals, and Wrens just trying to live peacefully. The story follows Mrs. Hummingbird who returns home from lunch to find her nest has been disturbed. As it turns out, there’s a pesky bird in the neighborhood who put an extra egg in her nest which causes the policemen begin to question every bird in order to find out who did it.
Not only is the storyline cute and easy to follow, but the illustrations are beautiful. I particularly loved how the artist drew the birds with pearl necklaces, bow ties, and hats to give them even more character. Trouble in Treeville is great for a young audience and once they’re finished reading it again and again they’ll probably wonder when someone will cause trouble next (so there can be a second book of course!).
