Customer Reviews

Little Tree

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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It is difficult to put into words the complex beauty of this book. If you are not familiar with the poetry of E.E. Cummings, this book will make you a surefire fan. The verse is sensitive, gentle and intimate. Beautifully paired with the whimsical, delicate and ever-bright illustrations by Mary Claire Smith, this book will sing to you and your child's hearts.

There are very few stories about Christmas which capture the essence of what all the decorations and packages truly represent. This is one of those few. The illustrations bring us back to a time when family and friends, hand-made gifts and music together were what were truly valued. Where Christmas was a festival which celebrated warmth, light, life and love.

For those who are sensitive to the masses of trees which are erased from our earth each Christmas, please take a look at this book. I especially appreciate that the angel who takes the tree from the forest to the child carries the tree with roots intact and then, through Ms. Smith's illustrations, the tree is pictured potted. The tree in this book is a true symbol of Life.

This book is one our family will treaure for generations to come.

If you enjoy E.E.Cummings, you'll enjoy this. It's one of those fairy Tales written for children, and best understood by adults!!

I enjoyed this so much because of the quiet simplicity of this Christmas book. It is so different from most of the stories of Christmas children are exposed to today. It had the quite beauty of poetry, accompanied by beautiful paintings.

Take a lovely Christmas poem by e.e. cummings, add in beautiful illustrations by Doborah Kogan Ray, and you have a new addition to your Christmas traditions.

Two children find a little tree and bring it home. They take care of it, they decorate it, and they love it. Little tree became a symbol of Christmas in more ways than one.

Even though I am an avid reader, I avoid poetry. I usually find it over my head or melodramatic. (Poetry is one of the reasons I chose not to become an English teacher) In this case, Deboray Kogan Ray's illustrations have taken the invisible meaning of this 90 year-old poem and brought it to life for me.

I have really enjoyed reading this book to both of my boys this Christmas season. When I pack up my holiday decorations, I will carefully put this book, along with The Night Before Christmas into the box, so it will be there for us again next year.