The Good Little Christmas Tree [Hardcover]

The Horn Book review states this is no match for contemporary Christmas stories, but our family would very much disagree. This story transports one into a magical, old fashioned world that circumscribes todays commercialism. The verse is beautiful and leaves one with an emotional glow. We love The Polar Express, but The Good Little Christmas Tree is our family favorite!

We picked this book up at the library and read it last night. First off the illustrations are just beautiful! The writing is done very well. The story is so heartwarming and shows the true meaning of giving and selflessness. Just beautiful. My son actually had tears in his eyes at the end of the story. A keeper for sure!

I remember a time in childhood when, on Christmas Eve, we still had no tree; Dad went out and searched for one, so as not to disappoint us. In the hours he was gone, Mom sat us down to make ornaments from walnut shells and knotted string, fastened to the inside, and glued together with melted wax, mixed with food coloring, which in turn coated the outside of the walnut. By the time he returned, he had a thin and scrawny tree; it seems that all the other trees had been bought and this was the only one left.

Much like my story is the story of the peasant dad who brings home a little tree, the children who are in awe of it, anyway, and a mom who knew how to decorate this tree with homemade ornaments and cutout cookies. In this story, the parents sense that the tree is so little, but that they will decorate it and make it pretty. Just like my Mom, the peasant Mom added touches of love to the tree: gingerbread cookies, stars, and candy canes. While the children were asleep, the parents decorated the little tree.

As night fell, the little Christmas tree wished he could decorate his branches with beautiful ornaments. Quietly, he opened the door and left the house, walking into the fields nearby. At the same time, the heavenly angels were getting ready for a party; the animals in the forest were all excited. Even a poor boy was fishing in an ice pond, hoping to get a fish for supper. Just then, an old man, whom the people called Father Christmas, and sometimes, St. Nicholas came walking through the forest, carrying a sack.

All this time, Little Christmas Tree was looking for whatever would make him beautiful; he traded needles for sparkling diamonds from the gnomes and goblins, whereupon they bargained for some of the cookies on his branches. Continuing on, he was fascinated with the scarlet red toadstools (mushrooms) and because he knew the children would enjoy seeing them on the tree, he gave up more needles to the wolves, who spied the cookies on his branches. The Little Christmas Tree frightened the wolves away by showering them with some of his needles. He wanted to hold on to whatever he had.

He came upon the little boy who was ice fishing, so he offers to trade some needles for the beautiful icicles. The little boy said "they are not mine to sell, for God made the icicles", and means for us to take whatever we please. In turn, the little tree gave the boy some needles so he could make fish hooks. When the little boy notices the cookies on the tree, the little tree offers him a bite, because "that is what any mother would wish". As small a bite of the cookies as it was, the boy felt as if he had tasted a most wonderful meal.

In the meantime, a procession of people carrying lighted candles are moving through the forest towards the church, "singing and praising God". Slightly embarrassed about his looks, Little Tree stands near the church door. A little girls comes by and taking candles from her basket, lights them and ties them on the branches of Little Christmas Tree; the old man just grumbles.

The Little Christmas Tree becomes afraid, and some of his needles fall off; he continues on through the forest, all the time, "with the candles flickering, the icicles sparkling, the toadstools gleaming, the diamonds glittering, and the cookies bobbing about". He is now far from the church, and he meets a peddler warming himself by the fire. Seeing all sorts of toys and items, the Little Christmas Tree would like to trade some of his needles and branches for the items laying on the ground. But, the peddler notices some of the cookies still on the tree. In fear, Little Christmas Tree runs away with beautiful red slippers he'd like to give the Mom, he sees the Baby Angels having a party, dancing around; he notices their pink toes and hands. With only a few needles left, he offers the angels a bit of the cookies in payment for their kindness.

By this time, there are very few needles left on his branches, and he comes upon a pool of cool water to quench his thirst. As he looks into the water, he imagines himself to be not so pleasant in appearance; he was ashamed to go home. Then, along comes St. Nicholas, carrying a beautiful tree, and the Little Christmas Tree asks St. Nicholas to remove all the decorations from his branches and place them on the tree he is carrying, and to please deliver it to the couple living at the end of the road. The couple is the mother and father who decorated him on Christmas Eve.

Then, all of a sudden, St. Nicholas touches the Little Christmas tree and he is suddenly transformed into a tree full of branches covered with needles, growing again. The Little Christmas Tree was now becoming splendid again, as the fresh needles and full branches were dangling with all the beautiful decorations.

Together, St. Nicholas, and the Little Christmas Tree walk through the forest, followed by a procession of angels, the old peddler, people coming out of the church, the boy who was fishing, even the wolves, the gnomes and goblins, and the few remaining cookies "bobbing about". It was a most beautiful procession bringing the Little Christmas Tree back home to the family.