What the Little Fir Tree Wore to the Christmas Party - Hardcover

Ichikawa, Satomi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399237461 ISBN 13: 9780399237461

Publisher: Philomel, 2001

Synopsis

When a truck comes and takes all but three little trees, the remaining group are sad that they have not been invited to any parties, but when the next morning arrives, they see that they have been given a new decoration that fits just perfectly with the magic of Christmas day.

About this title

Reviews

reS-Gr 2-A sweet, spare story with lovely art. Ignored by all of the other evergreens in their discussions of what they will wear to a Christmas party, a tiny fir is upset about being left behind when the rest of the trees are cut down and hauled away in a truck. However, a bent, nearly bare tree has also been left behind, apparently because he is too old. The two of them share their dreams and stories about the season, and when it snows on Christmas morning, they feel well dressed for their own celebration. With its dramatic, impressionistic watercolor illustrations, this title is a good choice for those seeking an alternative to the many commercial books of the season. Pair it with Hans Christian Andersen's The Fir Tree (HarperCollins, 1970) for discussion purposes.-T. T.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The fir trees are abuzz with talk of what they will wear to the fast-approaching "Christmas party." But when her neighbors are taken to the "party" by a man with a powerful saw, and she's left behind, the tiniest tree fears she'll never don the dress of her dreams. While the story line is a little hokey, Ichikawa's (Bravo, Tanya) precise touch makes the crisp evergreens in these delicate, wintry watercolors seem truly alive. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5-8. A sweetly sentimental yuletide story, with an equally gentle moral. Some fir trees are talking among themselves about the coming Christmas party, and each imagines what to wear--not flowers, notes one, but lights or rainbows. The smallest tree is ignored, and when the others are cut down, she is left with only the oldest tree for company. He asks her dream, and the little tree speaks of Christmas raiment like the glow of the moon. The elder tree says he's too old for Christmas dreams. On Christmas morning, they awake to find the little tree covered in snow that makes her sparkle; the old tree's bent and gnarled branches also glisten with snow and are filled with birds. "And in this way they spend the most wonderful Christmas together." The watercolor illustrations give the trees distinctive form without anthropomorphizing them. Each page is bordered in Christmas red, and the text appears in black over the images or in white against that festive red. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Philomel
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399237461
• ISBN 13: 9780399237461
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ichikawa Satomi
• Number of pages: 40