I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This book is about a tree but it’s also about having patience. A gardener plants a fig tree and tells everybody it takes time. Then one summer goes by then two summers and still no figs. The gardener wants to replace the tree, but the children say no the tree just needs love which they give it for another year or two or three until eventually the tree produces figs and becomes shade. The kids always knew it just took patience. The story is lovely and sweet. The illustrations are not my favorite, but they did grow on me by the end of the book. I do wish the cover was changed to one of the inside pictures that looks more complete. The current cover seems like a fast slap together.

The Good for Nothing Tree by Amy-Jill Levine and Sandy Elsenberg Sasso is a take on the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. It was a cute story. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

I loved this children’s story. The illustrations were amazing and the message of the story was so good. Great for teachers to use as a Read Aloud.

There is nothing that is good for nothing. I say, the value of a thing or a person depends on the where it is testifying and by whom under what conditions & which situations.

Here it is depicted well by the author on the patience of children on getting fruits from the fig tree they planted. Season after season went by but there were no figs on the tree. Gardener decided to cut the tree but children insisted to taken care of it and their patience proved fruitful as well as the fig tree.

All it says, is about to be hopeful and be patient while working for making things work positively.

I requested this book as a fig tree (and fig fruit!) lover thinking I would just get a cute little story I might want to add to our library. And though I did get that, I also got a story about patience, faith, and perseverance. Through various seasons, children attempt to grow figs. There are some inconsistencies such as the children not getting older through the seasons. And I'm not a big fan of the the book title. But those things don't really take away from the story or message. I think this book would work better for Elementary children instead of toddlers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flyaway Books for providing me with a review copy.

This book is based on a parable from the Gospel of Luke.

The parable casts two images side by side. The story in the text as well as the story of our own lives.

The fig tree can represent many different things, but we are not expected to find a complete one-on-one exact answer between the parable and what goes on in our lives.

This version talks about allowing children time to grow at their own pace.

How many times have you thought your child should be doing something by age whatever? I know I have!

Reading this just reassured me that God allows all of us to grow at the pace He wants us to!

How comforting and amazing is that?!

There's no tree that is good for nothing you just have to be more patient! A beautifully illustrated book about a fig tree that took too long to bear fruits, all the adults were impatient and lost hope for it to be of any good use and called it "Good for nothing" but a group of children cared for it month after month until they eventually got rewarded for their dedication!

This book truly shows the value of patience and resignation which is not a really popular topic in childrens books. It teaches children to accept the fact that a process will take a little longer than they might have thought but as the saying goes “Good things come to those who wait.” Children should know that patience allows us to persevere and make more productive decisions, often leading to greater success!

The Good for Nothing Tree was a gorgeously illustrated book with a sweet story. I loved the vibrancy, and I feel the art style would definitely appeal to kids. The story was about a tree some children plant with a gardener, but the adults want to replace it when it doesn't grow. I loved that this book had a lot of different messages in it and talked about how love and hard work can make a difference. Such a sweet story! I would love to use this book in my classroom.

The Good for Nothing Tree by Amy-Jill Levine; Sandy Eisenberg Sasso 4/5

A beautiful story with a perfect demonstration on the importance of being patient, caring and consistent with an added bonus of a fig ball recipe at the end.

I enjoyed this story. As a mom with 3 littles, it can be frustrating at times when we plant or even paint something and they have to wait for it to grow or dry. Waiting around can be extremely difficult for some and I noticed when reading this my children were very eager for the fig tree to grow and didn't understand why so many seasons passed before it did. We loved the part of the story where the children go above and beyond to care for the fig tree. Watering it, watching it, trimming it. A great lesson in we should take an interest and care for the things we enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

A beautiful story about patience, diligence, and perseverance. A recipe for fig balls is also included at the end!

Oh my god. I could not possibly love this story more! I love any story about a tree, if I’m being honest, so this one was made for me, but it was such a great story about patience and persistence and understanding that it takes work to make a thing growth and bare fruit!

Total Rating: 3.66 stars

Representation: 7
Story: 5
Illustration: 10

Gorgeous illustrations and a good message for children to fight for what they believe is right and not let others convince them that their efforts are meaningless.

** Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. **

I enjoyed the story of tending a young tree and waiting for it to fruit, waiting longer, perhaps, than expected. The allegory with young people growing up is clear and quite correct.

The drawings are simple and sharply coloured, and given the theme of maturing I would have liked the illustrations to be more detailed. Perhaps the earlier ones could be simplistic and the detail could be embroidered with each page as time passes.

Great to see the kids in the story persevering, caring and displaying teamwork. Otherwise we see nothing of their lives. I don't know why the adult gardener who was first encouraging is then shown as discouraging and the youngsters have to work against advice. I'm pleased to see stories valuing nature. Overall the story is nice, the conversations simplistic and it's suited to kids under six, as stands, when the theme would be relevant to older kids who aren't likely to pick up an early readers' book.

I read this ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

"The Good for Nothing Tree" Is a really cute book. The illustration style is really nice and reminds me of books that I read as a child. There are many lessons that are being taught in this book. Kids can learn to be patient and that good things are worth the wait. The kids in the story learned that their hard work they put into taking care of the tree paid off in the end. They also learned that just because something takes time or is different doesn't mean that it is good for nothing. My adult brain automatically attached this lesson to people. Just because someone is slow to learn something or prefers to learn something in a different way does not mean they are unintelligent. Everyone grows and learns at different speeds.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free.

This is a parable based on a passage from the Book of Luke, but while it's explained in an author's note in the end, it's not explicit in the text, so this could be used in both religious and non-religious settings. The story is a lesson about patience, recognizing potential, and giving things time to grow.

I understand what the author was going for, but, for me, the story stumbles a bit. It doesn't seem reasonable to expect a tree to fruit right after planting. Not only would you expect a gardener to be aware of this, but there is also an abrupt shift in the gardener's character. At first she is the one urging patience, but then she very abruptly changes her tune and becomes harsh and discouraging to the children. This might be confusing to young readers.

That said, the art is lovely, the overall message is sweet, and this could be used as a good conversation-starter with kids, as suggested in the author's notes. It might be a good fit for a Sunday school classroom.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a story about a little fig tree that just didn't flourish. It was abandoned by the gardener and all the other adults, but the tree was adopted by the little children who didn't give up as season after season passed without it bearing fruit. Then, eventually, it grew big enough to not only provide figs but also shade and praise from adults.⁠
⁠
The authors present this as a retelling of a New Testament parable - nicely explaining that concept at the end of the book.⁠
⁠
This book is particularly timely with Earth Day, whether you'd like to discuss with children how long it takes trees to grow and replace harvested trees or whether you're considering planting a family garden this spring.

Every flower blooms when they are ready, every tree takes time to grow. Good things take time and nothing should be rushed. Children will grow and develop in their own time and it is okay for each person to do things at their own pace.

A fig tree is taking too long to bear fruit for an impatient gardener, but a group of caring children know the importance of waiting. They care for the tree month after month, knowing that they will be rewarded for their dedication. Eventually, the tree grows big enough and fig fruits blossom.

Simple prose and delightful illustrations tackle big social and emotional issues in a way that helps readers understand the concept of walking their own path and doing things in their own time. The pressures to perform, learn quickly and succeed first can be overwhelming sometimes and for young children, it can feel like it is all too much to handle. Sometimes, it takes someone a little longer to bloom and that reminder is an important one. Don’t compare yourself to others, your journey is your own. With the love and care of true friends and family, everyone will succeed.

This would be a great addition to a classroom library or for a school counselor. Families may also enjoy having this as a book to read aloud and discuss. Definitely one that children should read. The text of the book is at a lower level that beginning readers could read independently with the assistance of an adult. But, reading this as a family or as a class will give an adult an opportunity to direct the conversation around this book since the themes and subject matter are so important.

Thank you to the Flyaway Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this great book. This wonderful book teaches an important lessons of patience, perseverance, as well as that all great things take time. Beautiful illustrations and great storytelling would make this book a great read aloud.

A charming book that shows the value in time and nurturing which is not a popular topic that is explored. The artwork and narrative are in a beautiful tango which mades for a beautiful story for kids. I am indifferent about the adults negative talk. It is good for kids to see examples of standing up for themselves but on the other hand it gives adults an example of talking down to kids. If the narrative is there, there will alway be people that favor it. That is just a very personal pet peeve that honestly is necessary.