Scrawl Books

Storytime with Cynthia Cliff: Mary E. and the Apple Tree

Mary E. and the Apple Tree is a timeless and richly thematic picture book about one girl’s experiences on her family’s farm and how our traditions involving food can connect people and places through generations. On their way to Grammie’s house, apple dumplings in tow, a mother explains a time-honored family tradition to her daughter. Mom tells the story of Mary E., who grows up alongside the apple tree her parents plant to mark her birth. Cynthia Cliff has written and illustrated a rich family story full of love, tradition, responsibility, and of course, food. The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where the author grew up surrounded by her family’s orchards, shines in her elegant text and timeless, folk art–influenced illustrations.