I adore how Miyares uses the tree as both visual barrier and connective tissue that facilitates the burgeoning friendship between two neighbor kids. In one spread, branches reach and beckon to the new neighbor as the tree straddles the gutter.

Miyares also employs verticality and horizontality as visual metaphors for connection. One character literally disassembles a fence to use its tall boards to build a tree house, beginning with horizontal ladder steps nailed up the tree trunk.

After the new neighbor follows a potential friend up the tree, a page turn brings the reader to a beautiful spread that features each child in profile, appearing directly out of the left and right edges of the spread. Miyares frames this illustration so the trunk of the tree is just below the bottom edge and so the negative space in the bottom of the gutter highlights how the tree's thicker branches curve towards each child as its smaller ones connect across the top of the gutter. (Butchering this description but look it up, it's truly lovely visually & metaphorically.)

Then color comes into play in the hitherto greyscale palette, and the two neighbors work together to construct the tree house, while having a bit of fun amidst their productivity.

The final spread is a reverse mirror image of the first full page spread and reiterates the two neighbors' newfound friendship, with the tree cozily crossing the gutter.