The Treehouse Heroes

"In this ecological fable that takes place 'long ago, in a far-east land,' the forests and rivers are populated with mythological beasts...[The artwork] is charming and vibrant. Created by a veteran animator, it recalls the stylized landscapes and figures in The Secret of Kells."

"A beautifully illustrated book that would make a spectacular animated film. Alina uses her animation background to breath life into every illustration. In this book, we are reminded, with a light touch, that nature is both miraculous and fragile. A good part of preserving this beautiful world lies with each of us. The illustrations themselves seem to move like the wind or a flowing stream and remind us of the natural world around us…The story, wrapped in a beautifully illustrated fairy tale, is a good reminder to look for and protect the beauty of our natural world today. Find your town's Zez today and cherish and nurture it!"
- Thomas E. Richner, Associate Professor of Animation, Columbus College of Art and Design, Former Layout Artist on The Simpsons animated TV series

"Alina, I just had to email you to say how much I love your artwork, especially The Treehouse Heroes and the Forgotten Beast sketches and colour pieces you placed on your site. It has a great synergy of traditional and modern art that just struck a chord with me. AMAZING! ...thank you, for creating such inspirational work." - Haydn Dalton, Lead Designer, Darksiders II video game

"The story and illustrations are awesome! I love the style of the characters. The smoke and fire have a life unto their own. The vibrant watercolors contrasted against the pure white backgrounds makes for some really interesting compositions. The moral of the story is nicely told with great illustrations. I think kids would really like this book." - David Kury, Producer, LucasArts

“Amara and Chau have created an enchanting tale of magic, heroism and plenty of action. It so evokes a rich ancient fable you'd think it has existed for hundreds of years. But it hasn't and that's the best part. They've conjured up something classic, yet so new. I love it." - Dan Yaccarino, children's author and creator of Willa's Wild Life

"A whimsical tale of the magical Zez, and her adventures with the Treehouse Heroes & the evil General Moon. A story of magic, hope, belief and wonderment, written by Phil Amara and beautifully accented by the lush illustration of Alina Chau." - Ally Takeuchi, Swoon Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

"A charming book, I've shown it to all the kids in my family and they want me to read it to them again and again!" - Tony Millionaire, author of Sock Monkey