Who Would Like a Christmas Tree?

October 1, 2009
Gr 1-3-Though presented as a Christmas book, this informative introduction to the different animals inhabiting a Maine tree plantation can be enjoyed year round. For every month of the year, the title question is asked and answered in a couple of simple explanatory paragraphs by the various insects, birds, mammals, and even flowers that benefit from the trees. The charming watercolor and ink illustrations are rendered in naturalistic fashion using natures hues and cross-hatching techniques for shading and depth. Of course, in December, it is a family of humans who would like a Christmas tree. They are shown in the final tableau putting the finishing touches on their decorating and enjoying seasonal refreshments, with their pets and some visiting animals nearby. In a concluding spread, the farmer details the month-by-month care of the trees. An excellent resource for getting youngsters enthused about nature."Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2009
Preschool-G Plenty of folks want Christmas trees in December, but in January or February? Cycling through the months of the year, this picture book looks at the wildlife on a Maine Christmas-tree farm. In January, black-capped chickadees perch on the trees looking for meals of spiderlings or seeds, then roost together in the branches at night. In February, field mice tunnel through the snow toward the trees, where they feed on the bark, safe under a roof of snow. Through the months, animals (deer, aphids, wild turkeys) and wildflowers emerge to tell their stories, and in December, a family comes to choose their Christmas tree. An appended section, written from the tree farmers point of view, offers a little more information from a completely different slant. Cross-hatched ink and watercolor drawings create lovely, varied scenes of this special habitat in all seasons, while the text gives voice to the creatures sharing it with the fir trees. An original read-aloud choice for the Christmas season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
This book explores the ways a Christmas tree is useful all year round. Each double-page spread begins by asking, "Who would like a Christmas tree in...?" and for every month one animal offers its perspective. Painterly watercolor and ink illustrations depict the animals against an ever-present grove of fir trees. Information on Christmas tree farm ecology is appended.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2009
What use is a fir tree in January? April? August? This sweet book explores the many ways a Christmas tree is useful all year round as part of the ecosystem of a Christmas tree plantation. Each double-page spread begins by asking, "Who would like a Christmas tree in...?" and for every month one animal offers its perspective. In May, the robin likes to "perch on the top of the Christmas tree and sing"; in September, the garden spider makes her web between "a row of Christmas trees, where there is plenty of sun and little wind." Hunter's painterly watercolor and ink illustrations depict the various featured animals -- black-capped chickadees, white-tailed deer, monarch butterflies, etc. -- against an ever-present grove of fir trees in the background. The final pages show a happy family taking a tree home in December. End matter includes additional information on the ecology of a Christmas tree farm.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)