Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Christmas Tree Farm
Illustrator: Jill Weber
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Holiday House, 2006 ISBN: 978-0823418862
Do you ever think about the Christmas trees that you buy every year? Do you ever think about the people who planted the tree, took care of it, and cut it down for you? Well, this is the story of a family who raise Christmas trees on a Christmas tree farm. You are going to join a little boy and his grandfather as they begin to cut down the trees in November so that they can be ready for the customers who start arriving to buy trees just after Thanksgiving.
The little boy knows that it takes hard work to grow the trees that his grandparents sell. In the spring there are little baby trees which need to planted, lots and lots of them. Grandpa then mows between the rows of trees to keep the weeds down. Then in the summer the trees have to be trimmed into a neat triangular shape. In the fall all the trees are measured and tagged according to size. The biggest trees can take up to fifteen years to grow and they are the most expensive.
At last, on Christmas Eve, Grandpa closes the doors of his Tree Hut and he goes to join his family for their own family Christmas celebration.
Children who enjoy getting and decorating their live Christmas tree every year will greatly enjoy this book. With its folkloric style artwork, its cheerful and informative story, and its personal touches about the life of the Christmas tree farm family, this is a title which will become a firm holiday favorite.
