Call the police, get the fire department, the old apple tree is talking! But what do you do when a helpless tree screams, "Pull me out. I'm stuck"? The entire neighborhood is in a panic... except for Skylar Robert's valiant dog, Arf. After Skyler gets wedged in the tree's hollow trunk, Arf stands faithfully by, when he's not rolling over laughing as the mixed-up townsfolk try to uproot the tree. Skylar and Arf know that their neighbors will do their all to get Slylar home. But what will his parents say when they discover that they haven't lost a son, they've gained a tree?
What child could resist the chance to play the greatest practical joke of his life or resist this hilarious tale of a madcap mix-up. In fresh and funny illustrations, full of shifting perspectives and wacky detail, John Himmelman creates an entertaining story of a boy and his dog... and their tree.
Originally published by Viking Kestrel in 1986!
Click page 36 for the story behind the story.
School Library Journal: "This far-fetched tale is reminiscent of "the sky is falling" in its many versions, only with people instead of animals.... Himmelman's cartoon-like drawings (in Shel Silverstein style), black on white except for the red apple and green tree and shrubbery, are animated and expressive in their silliness."
Some pages from the book...
