Mary McKinney, Christian Library Journal: Vol. IV, No. 2/3, Winter/Spring 1999.

     Rolin and his dad live in the big forest above Beechtown, collecting honey from their many beehives and selling it on Market Day. But this Market Day opens up a new dimension to Rolin as he finds himself being chased by the Greencloaks, who want his grandmother's pendant [that he found in a special box]. As Rolin races into the woods, a strange, gleaming man appears before him and beckons him to climb a most unusual tree. As Rolin climbs, he can't find the man, but as he returns to the ground he discovers that he is in a new land. Now the adventure begins in full for this young beekeeper. In the same vein as C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, [this book takes] the reader on an exciting journey to different lands, strange people and dangerous creatures. Rolin discovers the mystery behind his grandmother's special box and learns that he is chosen to help restore what has been destroyed by evil. Godly principles are presented as the god-image, Waganupa (the Tree of Life), challenges Rolin and his new-found friends not to just seek the gifts that [God] offers, but to receive new hearts that can celebrate true freedom and living waters that can give life eternal. William Burt presents a wealth of images and allegorical characters as the young hero, Rolin, learns Christian truths within this fantasy tale of good overcoming evil. The black and white sketches are a bit elementary for the richness of the text and the tantalizing story line.