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Domino's Tree House
Join one boy's quest to build the ultimate tree house in this imaginative picture book about the good things we might be missing in our never-ending pursuit of "better."
Domino’s backyard isn't enough for him, so he builds a tree house. When the tree house isn't quite enough, he builds a tree cottage, then a tree mansion, and on and on, pursuing something "more"—something that he can't put his finger on and can't quite reach. In a series of escalating feats of tree-house engineering, Domino builds and builds, until he finds himself alone on the moon, still not satisfied.
Gorgeous illustrations of a gravity-defying tree house will capture little ones' imaginations, while the satisfying conclusion will remind young readers that wanting more might cause us to miss the sweetness of what we already possess.
Domino’s backyard isn't enough for him, so he builds a tree house. When the tree house isn't quite enough, he builds a tree cottage, then a tree mansion, and on and on, pursuing something "more"—something that he can't put his finger on and can't quite reach. In a series of escalating feats of tree-house engineering, Domino builds and builds, until he finds himself alone on the moon, still not satisfied.
Gorgeous illustrations of a gravity-defying tree house will capture little ones' imaginations, while the satisfying conclusion will remind young readers that wanting more might cause us to miss the sweetness of what we already possess.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 23, 2023
About the author
Dawn Patitucci
2 books44 followersDawn Patitucci is a community college professor from Illinois. The Queen's Prophet (Turner Publishing, 2017), her adult fiction debut depicting the lives of royal dwarfs in 1650s Spain, was selected for TED's 2017 Winter Reading List: 56 Books You Won't Be Able to Put down. Domino's Tree House (WorthyKids, 2023) is her children's debut. Inspired by the author's love of home improvement and the whimsical picture books of her childhood, and beautifully illustrated by Francisco Fonseca, Domino's Tree House is the story of a boy whose compulsion to expand and improve his tree house sends him spiraling to the moon—where a stark reality awaits.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 27, 2023
I love this picture book! Domino's Tree House has all the earmarks of a modern classic written somewhat in the circular-tale style of books like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Domino is a dreamer. And sometimes dreamers are hard to satisfy. Domino's everyday life is "not enough." So the enterprising Domino builds a simple but sturdy treehouse in the big tree in his yard. But it isn't enough to satisfy him. So, on top of his simple tree home, he builds a "cozy tree cottage" with a place to sleep and a fireplace to cook soup. But that isn't enough either. Domino continues building upward--a magnificent tree mansion, a majestic tree castle, and a tree skyscraper. But he begins to miss some elements of home. He continues building and building--astronomically! But once again the "pull" of home draws him to a new understanding of "enough." Charming, engaging story, beautifully written. The contentment theme comes through the story gently. So well done! And the author has a gift for making the unbelievable believable. Vivid illustrations with remarkable texture and depth. Settings and style reflect the artist's Portuguese heritage.
Excellent book for family or classroom enjoyment. It's a shame I can only give this book 5 stars. I'd gladly give it more. It's that good!
Full disclosure: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. #WorthyKids #Contentment #greatpicturebooks
Domino is a dreamer. And sometimes dreamers are hard to satisfy. Domino's everyday life is "not enough." So the enterprising Domino builds a simple but sturdy treehouse in the big tree in his yard. But it isn't enough to satisfy him. So, on top of his simple tree home, he builds a "cozy tree cottage" with a place to sleep and a fireplace to cook soup. But that isn't enough either. Domino continues building upward--a magnificent tree mansion, a majestic tree castle, and a tree skyscraper. But he begins to miss some elements of home. He continues building and building--astronomically! But once again the "pull" of home draws him to a new understanding of "enough." Charming, engaging story, beautifully written. The contentment theme comes through the story gently. So well done! And the author has a gift for making the unbelievable believable. Vivid illustrations with remarkable texture and depth. Settings and style reflect the artist's Portuguese heritage.
Excellent book for family or classroom enjoyment. It's a shame I can only give this book 5 stars. I'd gladly give it more. It's that good!
Full disclosure: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. #WorthyKids #Contentment #greatpicturebooks
May 13, 2023
Gorgeous illustrations in a story with a message of home is the best place or don’t keep wishing for more when what you have is already wonderful. Domino has a beautiful backyard where he can enjoy the trees and sky, but isn’t satisfied and builds a treehouse and then something bigger and then something even bigger until he has completely removed himself from the home he loves. The text will lead to all sorts of conversations about lessons learned/theme and can be used as a mentor text from the littlest listener/reader to middle grade students. The text and illustrations are imaginative and encourage out of the box thinking among readers. Lastly, the illustrations are magnificent and, as with all tremendous picture books, can stand alone! Virtually no white space on any page and painting that just makes the reader look again and again. Dawn Patitucci and Francisco Fonseca have teamed up to create a winner that should be a “first choice” selection for PK-grade 3 libraries and even older should mentor texts be widely used.
Thanks for hosting the Goodreads giveaway Worthy Kids/Hachette Book Group and for selecting my entry for a win!
Thanks for hosting the Goodreads giveaway Worthy Kids/Hachette Book Group and for selecting my entry for a win!
September 21, 2024
A variation on an old tale — reminds me a bit of the story of the fisherman who caught the magic fish, which gave him a gift for releasing him (and his wife kept asking to upgrade on and on.) Was a little distracted when he walked in the moon without a spacesuit tbh, but it didn’t ruin it for me
November 24, 2025
Reminds me of the book:
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (Caldecott Honor Book)
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (Caldecott Honor Book)
August 19, 2023
A whimsical story about appreciating what you have rather than always wanting more. Domino lays on his back staring up a tree, and decides it's not enough - he needs to build a treehouse. Then the treehouse isn't enough, so he needs a tree cottage, then mansion, then castle, etc. In an odd twist, he eventually ends up with another tree on the rooftop garden of his skyscraper, and repeats the same pattern of structures again, and again. Eventually, he ends up in space, where he constructs a space station to get to the moon. From there, he sees the Earth below him and parachutes back to his own backyard, where he can now appreciate the tree he started with.
Space-loving kids may object to some details in those last few pages (e.g. the fact that space stations don't take you to the moon), but I suppose the whole premise is sufficiently fantastical that these things can be overlooked. My bigger concern is that the story seems to conflate having a wild imagination with greed - most books that feature kids dreaming up elaborate structures like this present their architectural creativity in a positive light, rather than viewing it as a character flaw. I suppose the choice to repeat the same structures over and over in a telescoping manner does help to convey the excessiveness, but I think many young readers will be more focused on how cool it would be to build castles and skyscrapers in your backyard. To suggest they should stop dreaming and just be satisfied with what they have seems a bit disenchanting in this context, much as I'm on board with the idea of encouraging gratitude over greed.
The illustrations have a beautiful luminous quality that draws you in - this is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy poring over. The graphic design of the text is fun as well, with playful layouts and colors that emphasize its meaning. Overall, while I'm ambivalent about the way the moral is conveyed, this quirky addition to the "treehouse" genre is lovely to look at and may spark some interesting conversations with young readers.
(Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for honest review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.)
Space-loving kids may object to some details in those last few pages (e.g. the fact that space stations don't take you to the moon), but I suppose the whole premise is sufficiently fantastical that these things can be overlooked. My bigger concern is that the story seems to conflate having a wild imagination with greed - most books that feature kids dreaming up elaborate structures like this present their architectural creativity in a positive light, rather than viewing it as a character flaw. I suppose the choice to repeat the same structures over and over in a telescoping manner does help to convey the excessiveness, but I think many young readers will be more focused on how cool it would be to build castles and skyscrapers in your backyard. To suggest they should stop dreaming and just be satisfied with what they have seems a bit disenchanting in this context, much as I'm on board with the idea of encouraging gratitude over greed.
The illustrations have a beautiful luminous quality that draws you in - this is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy poring over. The graphic design of the text is fun as well, with playful layouts and colors that emphasize its meaning. Overall, while I'm ambivalent about the way the moral is conveyed, this quirky addition to the "treehouse" genre is lovely to look at and may spark some interesting conversations with young readers.
(Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for honest review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.)
April 20, 2023
“The leaves swayed in the night breeze, and Domino smiled. It was finally enough,” Dawn Patitucci ends her children’s book, Domino’s Tree House.
~ What ~
This thirty-two-page hardbound with a matching jacket targets children four to seven years old and focuses on learning about acceptance. With colorful and engaging artwork that fills the pages, it has an easy-to-read font.
In this quick tale, young Domino feels that life is never enough, especially when he imagines building his own tree house that needs more and more changes. From adding improvements such as a cozy cottage, mansion, castle, skyscraper (complete with a roof-top garden), and space station, he keeps on wanting to make something better. Only when he comes back to earth does he realize what he has is finally enough.
~Why ~
This is a nice story that not only encourages the imagination of building but also that being content with what you have is warranted. The idea of being appreciative and accepting of things is promoted nicely. Young ones will be captivated by the fanciful illustrations.
~ Why Not ~
Those who do not like whimsical tales of several buildings stacked in a tree may pass on the story. Beginner readers may have trouble with some of the two and three-syllable words.
~ Wish ~
While I liked the concept of dreaming about a fantasy tree house, mentioning God is all we need to be fulfilled would be encouraged.
~ Want ~
If your young one loves to build things and play outside, this calm bedtime story will help them understand that acceptance is also a positive trait to have.
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, WorthyKids, and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.
~ What ~
This thirty-two-page hardbound with a matching jacket targets children four to seven years old and focuses on learning about acceptance. With colorful and engaging artwork that fills the pages, it has an easy-to-read font.
In this quick tale, young Domino feels that life is never enough, especially when he imagines building his own tree house that needs more and more changes. From adding improvements such as a cozy cottage, mansion, castle, skyscraper (complete with a roof-top garden), and space station, he keeps on wanting to make something better. Only when he comes back to earth does he realize what he has is finally enough.
~Why ~
This is a nice story that not only encourages the imagination of building but also that being content with what you have is warranted. The idea of being appreciative and accepting of things is promoted nicely. Young ones will be captivated by the fanciful illustrations.
~ Why Not ~
Those who do not like whimsical tales of several buildings stacked in a tree may pass on the story. Beginner readers may have trouble with some of the two and three-syllable words.
~ Wish ~
While I liked the concept of dreaming about a fantasy tree house, mentioning God is all we need to be fulfilled would be encouraged.
~ Want ~
If your young one loves to build things and play outside, this calm bedtime story will help them understand that acceptance is also a positive trait to have.
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, WorthyKids, and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.
June 4, 2023
Domino’s Tree House is a fun adventure about a boy who isn’t happy with his backyard. He would lay in the grass watching the leaves fall and became bored. He decided to build a treehouse where he could sit and enjoy it and he loved eating his snacks. He grew tired of it and he next built a cottage where he could sit by the fire and make soup. He quickly grew bored and next build a tree mansion where he could eat French cakes and slide down the handrails. He decided he needed to build a tree castle and become king over his neighborhood but he still wasn’t satisfied. He keeps building until he winds up in space. There was no good food and it was cold and lonely all the way up in space. At the end of the book, he realized how much he loved the simple life and his backyard wasn’t that bad at all.
I would recommend this delightful book to children aged 2-8. It had an excellent message about learning to enjoy where you currently are in life and how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Each different house he built provided even more ways for him to grow unhappy. It is also a great reminder to parents that a bigger house doesn’t always equal more happiness. It tends to bring about even more challenges. I enjoyed this book and the core message of the book about enjoying the journey and living in the moment. More stuff doesn’t equivalent to being more fulfilled in life.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords/Worthy Kids for my honest review.”
I would recommend this delightful book to children aged 2-8. It had an excellent message about learning to enjoy where you currently are in life and how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Each different house he built provided even more ways for him to grow unhappy. It is also a great reminder to parents that a bigger house doesn’t always equal more happiness. It tends to bring about even more challenges. I enjoyed this book and the core message of the book about enjoying the journey and living in the moment. More stuff doesn’t equivalent to being more fulfilled in life.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords/Worthy Kids for my honest review.”
November 15, 2023
Domino is a bright, creative young boy with a zeal to build things bigger and better, specifically his treehouse. Becoming increasingly discontent with the latest iteration of his work, he seeks out the next new way to improve it on and on, until he finally realizes the folly of his ways and returns to a life of simplicity and contentment.
With echoes of the fable of Icarus, Domino’s Treehouse is a well-written and beautifully illustrated tale that emphasizes contentment and cautions against the greedy desire to have more and more. The book makes for an excellent read-aloud to the 4- to 7-year-old audience and opens the opportunity for discussion around what it means to be happy with what you have.
What makes this tale particularly great for its audience is that it doesn’t try to teach the moral through Domino’s interactions with others. There is no parent figure or otherwise to come along and teach Domino the lesson. Instead, recognizing that children at this age and stage are very invested in their own worlds, the entire story revolves around Domino himself and his own experience dealing with discontentment and the consequences of greed.
The book itself is of very good quality. Bright colors, highly visible text, and good quality paper.
Great read!
With echoes of the fable of Icarus, Domino’s Treehouse is a well-written and beautifully illustrated tale that emphasizes contentment and cautions against the greedy desire to have more and more. The book makes for an excellent read-aloud to the 4- to 7-year-old audience and opens the opportunity for discussion around what it means to be happy with what you have.
What makes this tale particularly great for its audience is that it doesn’t try to teach the moral through Domino’s interactions with others. There is no parent figure or otherwise to come along and teach Domino the lesson. Instead, recognizing that children at this age and stage are very invested in their own worlds, the entire story revolves around Domino himself and his own experience dealing with discontentment and the consequences of greed.
The book itself is of very good quality. Bright colors, highly visible text, and good quality paper.
Great read!
April 26, 2023
The book is beautiful. Well-written by Dawn Patitucci and well-illustrated by Francisco Fonseca.
Domino a lad of about ten builds himself a treehouse (which is a feat in and of itself). But, the treehouse doesn't satisfy him for very long. So he built a cozy tree cottage. Domino still was not happy. A magnificent tree mansion was next. Then, a tree castle. Then, a tree skyscraper. Then, he began missing his old backyard so he built a rooftop garden. Still, it wasn't enough. One day as he stood on the highest roof top he decided he still was not happy so he built a space station. While there Domino stepped out on the cold, hard moon - and he realized he was hungry and missed the soft grass and his snug bed. Into the space station he goes and parachutes to earth and alas he lands in his own backyard. Where, finally he realizes this is exactly the best place to be. It was enough.
I, personally, do not like this book. Putting dissatisfaction as a book subject is going too far for children.
I don't recommend it.
Domino a lad of about ten builds himself a treehouse (which is a feat in and of itself). But, the treehouse doesn't satisfy him for very long. So he built a cozy tree cottage. Domino still was not happy. A magnificent tree mansion was next. Then, a tree castle. Then, a tree skyscraper. Then, he began missing his old backyard so he built a rooftop garden. Still, it wasn't enough. One day as he stood on the highest roof top he decided he still was not happy so he built a space station. While there Domino stepped out on the cold, hard moon - and he realized he was hungry and missed the soft grass and his snug bed. Into the space station he goes and parachutes to earth and alas he lands in his own backyard. Where, finally he realizes this is exactly the best place to be. It was enough.
I, personally, do not like this book. Putting dissatisfaction as a book subject is going too far for children.
I don't recommend it.
May 23, 2023
Have you ever had a moment when you had a goal but once that goal was achieved, you weren’t satisfied?
Or perhaps like my 6-year old, a new toy is wonderful until there’s another thing on his radar.
“Domino’s Tree House” by author Dawn Patitucci and beautifully illustrated by Francisco Fonseca shares the story of young Domino who builds a tree house. But upon building his tree house, he longs for something more.
And so he builds another creation but that doesn’t satisfy as he longs for more and more and more.
In this whimsical tale of dreaming big, Domino’s journey invites readers to remember just that…the journey and the wonders along the way.
I read this book to my 6-year old and almost 4-year old. Based on our chat post book, I would make the suggestion that this book is better suited for a 6-year old in terms of being able to discuss lessons like contentment and appreciating the little things.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Or perhaps like my 6-year old, a new toy is wonderful until there’s another thing on his radar.
“Domino’s Tree House” by author Dawn Patitucci and beautifully illustrated by Francisco Fonseca shares the story of young Domino who builds a tree house. But upon building his tree house, he longs for something more.
And so he builds another creation but that doesn’t satisfy as he longs for more and more and more.
In this whimsical tale of dreaming big, Domino’s journey invites readers to remember just that…the journey and the wonders along the way.
I read this book to my 6-year old and almost 4-year old. Based on our chat post book, I would make the suggestion that this book is better suited for a 6-year old in terms of being able to discuss lessons like contentment and appreciating the little things.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 7, 2023
Domino’s Tree House is reminiscent of the 1800s nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built. It tells the story of a young boy named Domino who enjoys building things. He just isn’t content with what he has. He always wants more, and when he gets more, he wants something greater than that.
The story builds, creating wonderful visuals. And I love how it sparks the reader’s imagination. The full-page illustrations are colorful, detailed, and add so much to the tale.
This is a fun, adventure story for girls and boys that offers a happy and satisfying ending.
First Line: Domino lay in the warm grass under his backyard tree, watching its leaves flitter in the breeze.
Genre: Children
Author: Dawn Patitucci
Page Count: 32 (hardcover)
Reading Age: 4-7
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
The story builds, creating wonderful visuals. And I love how it sparks the reader’s imagination. The full-page illustrations are colorful, detailed, and add so much to the tale.
This is a fun, adventure story for girls and boys that offers a happy and satisfying ending.
First Line: Domino lay in the warm grass under his backyard tree, watching its leaves flitter in the breeze.
Genre: Children
Author: Dawn Patitucci
Page Count: 32 (hardcover)
Reading Age: 4-7
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
May 23, 2023
How much is enough? I love seeing this question answered by this gorgeous childen's book. I enjoyed Domino's Tree House by Dawn Patituci--a fun story about contentment.
As Domino's Tree House begins, Domino lays in the backyard and decides to build a tree house because laying in the grass on a nice day wasn't enough. Then the tree house didn't feel like enough so he turned it into a tree cottage, then a tree mansion, and so on. When will the "tree house" finally be enough? You'll have to get the book and find out.
Domino's Tree House is a fun book to read aloud and is a fun book for kids to read alone too. It is aimed at children ages four to seven, is 32 pages long and measures about 9 1/2 by 11 1/2 inches in size. It is a beautifully illustrated and written story book that gives the children, and adults, something to think about.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
As Domino's Tree House begins, Domino lays in the backyard and decides to build a tree house because laying in the grass on a nice day wasn't enough. Then the tree house didn't feel like enough so he turned it into a tree cottage, then a tree mansion, and so on. When will the "tree house" finally be enough? You'll have to get the book and find out.
Domino's Tree House is a fun book to read aloud and is a fun book for kids to read alone too. It is aimed at children ages four to seven, is 32 pages long and measures about 9 1/2 by 11 1/2 inches in size. It is a beautifully illustrated and written story book that gives the children, and adults, something to think about.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
May 23, 2023
Dawn Patitucci has written a delightful children’s book that is ultimately about being satisfied. Domino’s Tree House follows Domino in his quest for something bigger and better as he feels what he has isn’t enough. The story is one children will enjoy. It will also provide opportunities for discussions between adults and children. I could see this book becoming a family favorite.
Francisco Fonseca’s illustrations are very detailed. He has taken the text and expanded it in ways which will encourage the imagination of children. I think children will soon be able to enjoy the book even without an adult reading it to them.
Domino’s Tree House would be a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It would also be a good addition to a home or classroom library.
I received a complimentary copy of Domino’s Tree House. This is my honest review.
Francisco Fonseca’s illustrations are very detailed. He has taken the text and expanded it in ways which will encourage the imagination of children. I think children will soon be able to enjoy the book even without an adult reading it to them.
Domino’s Tree House would be a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It would also be a good addition to a home or classroom library.
I received a complimentary copy of Domino’s Tree House. This is my honest review.
April 24, 2023
Imagination is upon all who choose to read this book. Growing up, I never got to build a tree house. But by reading this book, I felt like I could have. Domino's Tree House not only reminds us to be children at heart but remembers and encourages the gift of imagination. It's when we lose sight of these dreams, hopes, and aspirations that adulthood becomes treacherous. Teaching our children to dream and imagine is something we should always strive for as they grow up.
June 27, 2023
Domino's Tree House takes readers on a captivating journey as one boy's quest for something "more" leads him to build an extraordinary tree house. With beautiful illustrations and a satisfying conclusion, this imaginative picture book reminds young readers about the importance of appreciating what we already possess. Dawn Patitucci's storytelling and the gravity-defying tree house will capture the imaginations of little ones, making it a delightful read for both children and their parents.
July 11, 2023
Domino’s Tree House is a fun adventure about a boy who isn’t happy with what he has. This book gives a good message to the young readers to enjoy and appreciate what we have and live in the moment. This also gives an opportunity to adults to teach the kids that its not always true that having more will give you happiness and that home is the best place.
I would recommend this delightful book to children that comes with beautiful illustrations.
I would recommend this delightful book to children that comes with beautiful illustrations.
August 19, 2023
Domino builds a treehouse. But he's not satisfied so he builds a tree cottage. He continues to be dissatisfied and continues to build. This seems like it could be a story aboug being satisfied with what you have, or always wanting more doesn't lead to happiness, but it doesn't drive the point home. I'm not sure what the author's point was in the end.
April 27, 2023
This beautiful gem of a book touches on many things that kids love- outdoor play, good snacks, construction, nature, outer space...culminating to an inspiring message.
May 12, 2023
Nicely written story, illustrations are great!
Thank you to Worthykids books for the copy!
Thank you to Worthykids books for the copy!
July 1, 2023
*super cute book and fun to read
*hold's children's attention
*beautifully done illustrations
*highly recommend
*hold's children's attention
*beautifully done illustrations
*highly recommend
July 24, 2023
Lovely picture book gently teaching about contentment.
September 27, 2023
We love reading this book in this house!
January 16, 2024
not just great message for kids but great message for adults!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews