The Little Christmas Tree - by Ruth Wielockx (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A heartwarming Christmas tale about a little tree with a big dream, and about Santa, of course! For children (big or little) ages 4 years and up.

Today is a special day. Little Tree has been looking forward to this day all year. "Maybe I'll get to be a real Christmas tree this year!"

It's almost Christmas. A small group of trees is waiting impatiently for the Christmas tree vendor to come and get them. What kind of family will bring them home? And what kinds of presents will land at their feet on Christmas Eve? The trees are sure about one thing: their sweet friend Little Tree is too little to be a Christmas tree this year. Are they right?

Review Quotes

"In this tale translated from Dutch, a tiny evergreen dreams of being a Christmas tree. Standing among the other evergreens, Little Tree expresses his wish, but the other trees enumerate the many reasons he won't be chosen: He can't hold many decorations or lights, there's room for only one gift underneath him, and big families prefer big trees. Sure enough, the vendor loads all the trees--Thin, Knotty, Big, Prickly, and Old--except Little Tree onto a truck...until the others make a space just big enough for him. Little Tree still worries, though, that the bigger trees were right. One by one, each of them gets chosen, until only Little Tree is left as the lot closes. But just then an older man with a long white beard arrives for Little Tree, reassuring him that though it may seem like decorations, children, and gifts aren't in his future, things are not always what they seem. While this tale is a little light on story, the message is a sound one. The evergreens in Wielockx's sweetly appealing cartoon illustrations have round green faces near their tops and spiky trios at the ends of their branches, one on each side standing in for arms with hands. Some of the trees appear to have root balls still attached. Both the vendor and the old man have light skin; other buyers are diverse. A fine tale to read before heading out to pick a Christmas tree." -Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Ruth Wielockx never imagined that she would become a writer and illustrator of children's books. She studied Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Leuven (Belgium) and Southampton (United Kingdom), and went on to get a degree in education. After years of teaching, Ruth realized that she really liked drawing and painting. She took this new passion and combined it with her love of children's books to begin a very successful career as an author and illustrator.