Kosha Tells: Orville the Orphan Tree

Patricia Fenton is chair of the Adoption Council of Ontario.

This is the first in a series designed to help children deal with
traumatic situations in their lives.

Kosha, the storyteller, is a rodentlike animal who has left home to
escape imprisonment by an evil general who has taken over his homeland,
Copalla. In this volume, Kosha, who has found new friends who enjoy
listening to his stories, relates the tale of Orville, an orphaned oak
tree. Uprooted from the comfort and familiarity of his home forest and
transferred first to a nursery and then to a family property, Orville
encounters frightening sights and sounds in his new home. Initially,
lonely and sad, he eventually makes friends and comes to terms with his
new life.

The themes of loss, change, and adjustment will hold particular
significance for adopted or foster children and even children who are
moving with their families to a new community. While the story is
interesting and frequently inspirational, the illustrations are very
dark and sombre, which could be disturbing to young children. The book
would have benefited from more sparkle and color.

As part of Kosha’s “Buck a Book” Campaign, one dollar from each
book sold goes to the Children’s Wish Foundation. Recommended with
reservations.