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Paper Chase
From bestselling author Julia Donaldson and the illustrator of The Christmas Pine, a new story of friendship, loss, and adventure connected by one very special tree.
Under a tree, a boy with a book and girl with a paper plane meet and play over the course of a wonderful day. Then they are parted -- perhaps never to meet again. Soon their tree is felled and starts a new journey to become paper to make hundreds of different things... including a book for a girl and a notepad for a boy. Can a new paper plane find its way to reunite the friends again?
Donaldson’s evocative and heartfelt rhyme are perfectly complemented by the warm and detailed artwork of Victoria Sandøy.
Under a tree, a boy with a book and girl with a paper plane meet and play over the course of a wonderful day. Then they are parted -- perhaps never to meet again. Soon their tree is felled and starts a new journey to become paper to make hundreds of different things... including a book for a girl and a notepad for a boy. Can a new paper plane find its way to reunite the friends again?
Donaldson’s evocative and heartfelt rhyme are perfectly complemented by the warm and detailed artwork of Victoria Sandøy.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2025
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,242 books1,951 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 7, 2025
I was fortunate to get this on my England trip. A signed edition! The kids loved jt.
November 21, 2025
Another wonderful book by Julia Donaldson, beautifully illustrated and a delight to read whether you are a child or an adult.
March 10, 2026
Friends James and Ginger meet when her paper airplane lands in his book. They spend the day together, playing and having fun until it is time for Ginger to go. The rest of the book is dedicated to the process of paper making; from the tree felling to paper in a shop.
A cute enough story. The rhyming is clumsy and forced and the author is British, so there are a few words and rhymes that won't make sense to US kiddos.
A cute enough story. The rhyming is clumsy and forced and the author is British, so there are a few words and rhymes that won't make sense to US kiddos.
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January 15, 2026An interesting story in the current landscape of children's nature books. Where most are lamenting the chopping down of trees and driving a 'save the trees' message, this book explains how trees are processed to make paper and drives a message of gratitude for nature and what it provides.
January 8, 2026
Love and gratitude to all the trees.
January 13, 2026
A girl and boy meet under a tree, then the tree is chopped down and made into paper things that help lead them back to each other. Some facts about making paper products.
January 25, 2026
I was kind of surprised that everyone in the story was ok with chopping down that beautiful tree.. but now I see the message. This is a good one to share!
February 3, 2026
Really lovely sentiments here, but the book itself felt a little long and the story was a little convoluted.
March 14, 2026
Soooo cute
March 26, 2026
This is about 2 kids who meet in the park and how they get reconnected.
February 24, 2026
A sweet story about friendship. It didn't go in the direction I thought it would (conservation/deforestation) but it was still a lovely book. Great for exploring how paper is made.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews