The Very Eager Evergreen - Stef Wade - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Stef Wade

ILLUSTRATOR: Erin Taylor

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2026

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A lovely picture book about accepting yourself and acknowledging your worth. Simple story with many essential messages delivered effectively. Cute illustrations too. Recommended.

Plot Preview:

Doug Fir is sad that his life doesn’t change. All the others in the forest, whether animals or trees, change their looks or their behaviour according to the season. But Doug is always the same old green. The other evergreens are happy to stay the same but Doug is eager for a change in his routine. His friend Robin suggests he take advice from Queenie the Queen Palm, an evergreen palm in Florida. Using Robin as their messenger, Doug and Queenie begin exchanging letters, and Queenie helps Doug realise something quite important.

This picture book uses a fairly straightforward plot to make its main point. But the beauty of the story is that it delivers multiple messages, all of which are relevant. Considering the age of its audience, the concept and the execution both work well.

I like how Doug Fir is blind to all the positives in his life at first. Like so many humans, he concentrates only on the what-if than on the what-is. It takes a long time for him to awaken to his own happy state of being and his contribution to those around him. Sometimes, we aren't aware of our own worth and it takes a kind friend to help us recognise what we have overlooked.

There are several other morals coming out from this story, which can be teased out beautifully by a skilled adult reader during a read-aloud session. One message I especially loved was the advice about sticking to your roots.

Moreover, the book offers nice information on evergreen trees both in the story as well as in the back-matter, so you get a bonus botanical bonanza. Several animals also make an appearance in the story, which children are bound to enjoy.

I didn’t expect letter-writing to pop up in the story. The letters also offer good learning in understanding someone’s emotions through the way they write and of course, in the art of structuring a letter.

The illustrations are really cute and bright. Considering how an evergreen tree is the focal point of the plot, the colours are nature-toned. I just wish Queenie the Palm had also been depicted in the graphics. The only time we see a palm tree in the book is in the back-matter.

Overall, this is a great book that does what it promises. By delivering a cute story, several important life lessons and adorable illustrations, it works as a complete package.

Definitely recommended. This would make a great read for children aged 5-8 years and would especially work in classroom discussions, whether on evergreen trees or on confidence-boosting.

My thanks to Capstone for providing the DRC of “The Very Eager Evergreen” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.