When a great white oak gifts an old man a branch imbued with magic, he carves five wooden dolls ¿each smaller than the last.¿ The wooden dolls take on a life of their own as they frolic from one season to the next bringing the old man and his wife a joy they had always longed for. Beautiful verse and stunning, traditional illustrations full of woodland creatures and playfully painted matryoshka dolls explore a tale of heartache, hope, and love.

Stephanie Campisi is an Australian picture book author based in Tennessee. When not exploring the woods and streams about her home, she’s reading to her son or concocting imaginative worlds brimming with wordplay and whimsy.