When something precious is lost, how do we learn to carry its memory forward?
In Duke and Toby and the Tree on the Hill, a powerful storm changes the landscape of the homestead in a single night. For Duke and Toby, the loss feels especially deep, because the tree on the hill was not just any tree. It was Toshi's Tree-a place filled with memory, love, and quiet connection to the cat their family lost before coming to the valley.
As the rain passes and life around the homestead continues, Toby struggles to understand how the world can keep moving when something so important is gone. The chickens still scratch in the dirt. The goats still call from the pasture. Morning still comes. To Toby, it feels impossible that ordinary life could continue when his heart feels so changed.
With Duke beside him, Toby begins to ask the difficult questions children often carry after loss. What happens when something you love disappears? Does memory fade? Can a place still matter after it has changed? And how do we honor someone we miss without holding too tightly to what used to be?
Set against the gentle rhythm of homestead life, this heartfelt story follows Duke and Toby through grief, confusion, remembrance, and healing. With the loving presence of Alan and Andrea, and with the quiet wisdom that comes from sitting with sorrow instead of rushing past it, the two dogs begin to discover that love does not live only in one tree, one place, or one moment. Love remains in memory, in the heart, and in the ways we continue to care for what mattered.
Written in a warm, reflective voice, Duke and Toby and the Tree on the Hill is a tender children's story about grief, resilience, family, and hope. It offers a gentle way to talk with children about change, remembrance, and the truth that even after loss, beauty and meaning can still grow again.
This moving addition to the Duke and Toby series is perfect for families who appreciate emotionally rich stories, animal-centered storytelling, and books that help children explore big feelings with comfort, compassion, and grace.
