Softcover
ISBN 979-8-9940062-2-1
Coming soonA picture book · The coast of Maine
A winter story about community, resilience, and the quiet magic the shore gives back.
About the book
The Magical Beach Tree is a heartwarming coastal holiday tale about Hildi, her dog Finn, and the unexpected tree they discover on a snowy Maine morning. As the beach offers up its treasures—shells, sand dollars, driftwood, and sunlit surprises—the community comes together to create something truly magical.
When a fierce storm sweeps the tree away, nature gives it back in a wondrous way, reminding everyone that some places—and some stories—are meant to last forever.
The crescent shore where the story unfolds.
Decorated only with gifts from the shore — shells, sand dollars, driftwood, and sea-smoothed stones.
The true story behind the book
In the days after Christmas Prelude, someone left a tree by the road in coastal Maine. Instead of letting it go to the trash, we carried it down to the beach, anchored it in the cold sand, and wrapped it in solar lights — then decorated it entirely with treasures from the shore.
What happened next, no one planned. People stopped to admire it and, without a word, began adding offerings of their own. One day, painted rocks appeared beneath the branches, just like wrapped presents. To this day, no one knows who left them.
A nor'easter eventually swept the tree out to sea. It seemed to be over — until, weeks later, a familiar twinkle blinked softly in the seagrass. Every year since, a tree returns to that same stretch of beach, shared by neighbors and strangers alike.
"Welcome back, little tree."
About the author
Donna K. has spent more than thirty years on the coast of Maine, where the shoreline, the seagrass, and the changing seasons inspired this story. She and her family treasure their years in Goose Rocks.
Her dog Finn is the real-life inspiration for Hildi's faithful companion, and The Magical Beach Tree is her first children's book.
Finn — the real-life inspiration for Hildi's companion.
Get the book
A full-color picture book published by Goosefare Publishing, available in three editions.
A Spanish edition — El Árbol Mágico de la Playa — is in the works.
For school visits, readings, or wholesale inquiries, get in touch.
ISBN 979-8-9940062-2-1
Coming soonISBN 979-8-9940062-1-4
Coming soonISBN 979-8-9940062-3-8
Coming soon