The Lollipop Tree by Cherney Berg illustrated by Joan Bonagura

I was talking tonight to a fellow teacher-librarian about books that are out of print so when I came home I thought I know the book I want to talk about on my blog.  This little book was published in 1969 and I suspect it might have been part of a "Reading scheme".  It originally came with a little record but I have sadly lost this.

The lollipop tree is a book for our times.  

Given new fresh illustrations I think it deserves to be republished.  Here is a part of the text:

"Once upon a time there lived a little boy who believed in magic and dragons and flying carpets and everything else grownups thought were impossible.  People would say to him 'There are no such things.' And he would say 'There are so.' And they would say 'It isn't scientific,' and then they would shake their heads at him and say 'Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too bad."

Luckily our little hero has two important qualities belief and perseverance.  He plants beans and waits for giant magic beanstalks.  Alas only real beans come up. The little boy just says 'Wait!'.  Next he plants pumpkins and waits for them to grow into magic coaches but sadly they only grow into pumpkins. Again the boy says 'Wait!' He plants marshmallows, chocolate bars and gumdrops. Rabbits, a dog and a squirrel take care of these.  "Nothing grew. And everybody said 'Scientifically, you are wrong."  The boy decides to try one more thing so he plants a lollipop stick.  Days and days go by until one morning the little boy goes outside to water his stick just one more time, just in case.  

"He didn't see any coaches, or magic carpets or even one dragon - but just where he had planted the lollipop stick there was a very strange looking tree."

I can't say look for this book in your school library but perhaps you might be lucky and find a second hand copy one day.  The little record featured Burl Ives and tonight I found it!  I recommend listening without the images.