A Possible Tree [Paperback]

Josephine Haskell Aldridge (Author), Daniel San Souci (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Deep within Joe Bracken's woods there is a tree. But this isn't just any old tree. This is a very special fir tree where animals go to seek shelter. From a top branch, a clever raccoon hides from a hunter and his dog. After flying away from Mrs. Bracken and her wash water, a dripping wet blue jay dries his feathers. And it isn't long before other animals discover the friendly old tree that protects them from harm.

Then one day men from the lumber mill come to chop down some Christmas trees from Joe Bracken's woods. But when they come upon the crooked fir tree, the lumbermen can hardly believe their eyes! In the midst of a seemingly ordinary forest, the tree teaches both the woodsmen and Joe's neighbors that anything is possible on Christmas Eve -- even unexpected miracles!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. San Souci's beautiful watercolors add much to this story about a small fir tree that becomes home to many wild animals and a favorite resting place for Joe Bracken's old coon hound. The Brackens keep shooing away pests--a bird, a raccoon, a squirrel--and one by one, the animals seek shelter in the boughs of the small fir tree. In nature, a tree like this is a wonderful kind of ecosystem; in the story, Aldridge marvels at the miracle of it. So, at Christmas time, lumbermen looking for trees on the Bracken property discover the little fir that "looks like Christmas wreaths all over." That night--Christmas Eve--Joe Bracken and his family go out to see this funny tree, and as their lantern shines up and down the length of it, they see the blue jay, the raccoon, the squirrels, the owl, the rabbits, a fox, and Joe's hound--an oasis of wildlife in the dead of winter. "Who would believe this was possible?" they ask. An interesting Christmas-tree story and good read-aloud for young children. Kathryn Broderick --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

The Brackens are a rather belligerent family. Joe gives up on his coon hound when it won't help him hunt (a coon watches as the dog curls up to sleep under an accommodating fir); Mrs. Bracken flings her wash water at a pesky jay, which escapes to the same tree; their son's slingshot is aimed at squirrels, the hired hands' truck injures a fox--and all the animals find refuge in or under the old tree. Fortunately, its odd shape disqualifies it as lumber, but the woodsmen who cut surrounding trees mention it to the Brackens, who investigate it on Christmas Eve and find a veritable Peaceable Kingdom in its snowy branches. In Aldridge's spare, understated narrative, the outcome is a real surprise, with the thought-provoking ``we have met the enemy and they are us'' message ably supported in San Souci's capably composed, realistic watercolors. Pleasantly offbeat. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068982131X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689821318
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,897,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book touched our hearts., January 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Possible Tree (Hardcover)

We received this book for Christmas, and it will always have a special place in our hearts. Our only child, a son of 26 years old, died of cancer four years ago. Some of his ashes were taken and planted under a Colorado Blue Spruce on the slopes of Mt Shasta. When we visit, the tall trees that surround him sway in the wind as if to protect him. The tree is a little crooked but it is growing beautifully. We would like to think that this book was written about our tree. The pictures are so well done and the story can be a lesson to us all.