This is a simple enough story. A boy gets a toy airplane as a present, and an errant throw results in the plane getting stuck on the top of a roof. We then get to see him try everything from a ladder (too short), to a lasso, to a pogo stick, to try and recover his plane. But, when nothing works, the boy settles on a long term strategy. While it will require patience, it is sure of success: he plants a seed and waits for it to grow into a mighty tree that will be tall enough for him to climb and recover his plane.

Whoops!

I am not going to spoil it here by telling you the end, but it is sweet and completely satisfying . This was a just joy to read with my little girl!

I will note that it is a pretty quick read, so it might be a good one to borrow from the library rather than buy. The author has also made a worthy sequel : The Girl and the Bicycle.

Jon Dykstra blogs on books at ReallyGoodReads.com.