7This book consists of two related stories: Sprout, and Horses in Tennis Shoes. "Sprout" The author was inspired to write the story of "Sprout" after a perfect spring day of skiing through the woods. With plenty of time to let his imagination wander, he wondered how life would be if you were a spruce tree. With his vivid imagination, the author wrote this story for his grandchildren. However, after a few pages of writing, the story took on a life of its own and turned out to be a story about nature, friendship, and the circle of life. This is a touching and emotional story as seen from the perspective of a spruce tree. It is a story for children of all ages from three to ninety-five. "Horses in Tennis Shoes" In this story the author describes the caring relationship between Grandpa and Grandma, who enjoy a quiet lifestyle where nothing much ever happens. After having restored a couple of neglected plastic toy rocking horses, they discover to their surprise and horror that the horses come alive at night when the moon is full. Grandpa tries to keep it a secret from the neighbors that they have live plastic horses running around at night leaving tiny horse tracks in the snow. The elderly couple makes various kinds of footwear for the horses to disguise their identity, but unfortunately with mixed results. At one point, Grandpa and Grandma make woolen socks for the horses that leaves lynx tracks in the snow, but that does not sit well with the real lynx population. The horses create an uproar when one night they prance around on a popular ski trail wearing dinosaur shoes that Grandpa has made. That little incident gets in the newspaper, and the ski trail is closed. These are just a few of the horses' adventures described in the story that is action-packed and written with plenty of humor. You can read this story to your children, but you can also enjoy the story by yourself and end up feeling good inside and with a big smile on your face.