• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3

A little girl and her grandmother discover a horse chestnut tree while on a walk in the park. The little girl yearns to have some chestnuts to play with as toys but her grandmother explains that she must be patient.

Halina Below's beautiful illustrations show the changing of the seasons as the young narrator and her "Baba" watch the chestnuts, the young girl decides there is a better use for them than as her toys. "Did You Know" information on chestnut trees along with a life-cycle chart and glossary are included at the end of the story.

Halina Below is a Fitzhenry and Whiteside author.

Halina Below's profile page

"In this beautifully illustrated story, Anya waits impatiently for the chestnuts to fall after she and her grandmother watch the blossoms bloom and change over the long summer. . . Readers will enjoy her delight in sorting them and then planting them in her backyard. Follow-up pages provide information about the life cycle of the horse chestnut tree. This book is very good for curriculum use about plants and growing things."
— ResourceLinks

"Author/illustrator Halina Below does a lovely job with this story which serves a dual purpose. It is a charming story about a young girl waiting for chestnuts to fall. However, this story also serves as a useful tool to demonstrate to younger children how a tree grows. The reader follows Anya through her excited waiting and searching for the "jewels of the tree" to fall for her. For many adult readers, Anya's actions will bring back memories of gathering fallen chestnuts; of filling skirts, pockets and purses with these treasures. Perhaps the story will encourage a new generation of gatherers. I found myself searching for Below's clever little squirrels on each page.My favourite illustrated page includes the view of just the back end of a squirrel busy inside a hole in the Chestnut tree. Below's illustrations are colourful and detailed. Anya's curly chestnut brown hair and brilliant green eyes draw the reader's attention on every page. . . A great addition to classroom and library nature collections. This combination of lovely detailed illustrations and a charming story is too tempting to pass up. I will be sure to read this book at a Fall Storytime. Maybe I can even find some chestnuts to share.
Highly recommended."
— CM Magazine