The Littlest Christmas Tree

by Jane Chapman (Author) Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

The Littlest Christmas Tree
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A beautifully illustrated tale about celebrating the joy of Christmas, and the little things in life, by best-selling author/illustrator Jane Chapman.

Cubby the bear cub is out with Daddy one day to find the perfect Christmas tree. They find one and dig it up, and when they get home, they give it the perfect spot in the living room and decorate it. Cubby is thrilled to have Little Tree in their house and treats the tree like a member of the family. But when Christmas is over, it's time to take down the decorations--including Little Tree. Cubby doesn't want to lose a friend--but Daddy has a clever idea of how to be sure that they have Little Tree with them every Christmas.

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Hardcover
$18.99

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--A cute ursine Christmas tale. Daddy Bear and little Cubby, along with their neighboring animals, get ready to celebrate Christmas by looking for Christmas trees. After Cubby runs into a teeny evergreen, Daddy and Cubby take the tree home to decorate. Then, they wrap presents and drink hot chocolate. When Christmas Day arrives, Daddy, Cubby, and their friends have a merry, festive party. After the holiday is over, Cubby feels heartbroken, until Daddy comes up with a clever way to save the day and the little tree by planting it outside for the next year. While this might work for the bears, it is not a likely option for many readers who might be sad to part with their own tree. Chapman's slightly bumbling, anthropomorphic animals are endearing as always, and the juxtaposition of the patient, but put upon, father and the overexcited, oblivious cub is both comical and true to life. The childlike ebullient tone of the story matches the bright colors of the illustrations. VERDICT Sweet and somewhat notable for having a single-parent household, this story can be a suitable addition to Christmas collections. But it is not a must, especially for those that already have the similar title by Chapman, Is It Christmas Yet?--Yelena Voysey

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

PreS-Gr 1-A cute ursine Christmas tale. Daddy Bear and little Cubby, along with their neighboring animals, get ready to celebrate Christmas by looking for Christmas trees. After Cubby runs into a teeny evergreen, Daddy and Cubby take the tree home to decorate. Then, they wrap presents and drink hot chocolate. When Christmas Day arrives, Daddy, Cubby, and their friends have a merry, festive party. After the holiday is over, Cubby feels heartbroken, until Daddy comes up with a clever way to save the day and the little tree by planting it outside for the next year. While this might work for the bears, it is not a likely option for many readers who might be sad to part with their own tree. Chapman's slightly bumbling, anthropomorphic animals are endearing as always, and the juxtaposition of the patient, but put upon, father and the overexcited, oblivious cub is both comical and true to life. The childlike ebullient tone of the story matches the bright colors of the illustrations. VERDICT Sweet and somewhat notable for having a single-parent household, this story can be a suitable addition to Christmas collections. But it is not a must, especially for those that already have the similar title by Chapman, Is It Christmas Yet? —School Library Journal

Jane Chapman
Jane Chapman has been writing and illustrating picture books for more than 20 years and has produced many best-selling and award-winning titles. She and illustrator Tim Warnes have two sons. Jane lives in Dorset, England.

Jane Chapman has been writing and illustrating picture books for more than 20 years and has produced many best-selling and award-winning titles. She and illustrator Tim Warnes have two sons. Jane lives in Dorset, England.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781664300477
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tiger Tales
Publication date
September 03, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV017010 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Christmas & Advent
Library of Congress categories
Bears
Animals
Fathers and sons
Picture books
Christmas
Trees
Christmas fiction
Animal fiction

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