Snowboy and the Last Tree Standing

A poignant tale about a game gone awry shows that in the face of greed and reckless destruction, one thoughtful person can make a big difference.

Snowboy is busy saving the Polar Bear King when Greenbackboy approaches him with an idea for a game called KA-CHING — a game that will make them rich. It’s easy: all they need to do is cut down all of the trees in the forest and catch all of the fish in the ocean and trade it in for piles and piles of shiny KA-CHING. But if all the trees are gone, they won’t be able to breathe. And what is a sea without fish? Their world would be inhospitable. Since Greenbackboy can’t see the forest for the trees, it’s up to Snowboy to trust his instinct to protect and nurture, rather than destroy. In a tale that glimmers with quiet power and hope, Hiawyn Oram transforms a universal cautionary tale into an accessible and imaginative fantasy, made all the more vivid by Birgitta Sif’s beautiful and atmospheric artwork.

Hiawyn Oram has been writing children’s books for more than twenty years and is the author of more than sixty titles, including Filbert, the Good Little Fiend. A recipient of the Japanese Picture Book Award and the Prix du Livre Culturel, Hiawyn Oram lives in London.

Birgitta Sif is a designer and artist and the author-illustrator of Oliver and Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Birgitta Sif now lives with her family in Sweden.