Christmas Tree Farm

My son loves this book, and I am thrilled to read it to him. The subtext of the story included seasons, wildlife, buisness and family. And it makes you feel all Christmassy too. Wonderful book.

A boy and his grandfather work diligently on their family-owned Christmas tree farm, an endeavor that involves multiple tasks and spans all four seasons of the year. Early in the spring after the young tree seedlings are delivered to the farm, the family plants them in neat, wide rows. Painstaking care is required to protect the seedlings from weeds, insects, diseases, and animals as they grow. In the summer, Grandpa and his crew of helpers prune and shape the trees, and in the fall the trees are measured and tagged. The winter brings the sales season, with customers cutting their own trees or purchasing pre-cut trees from the farm stand. This book gets high marks for bundling its informative content into an interesting story with charming illustrations. Teachers and parents can use Christmas Tree Farm to introduce several important economics concepts to young children, including natural resources, entrepreneurs, and producers and consumers. It may be tempting to save this book for Christmas time, but reading the book in a different season could even spur a visit to a local tree farm to see how well the seedlings are growing.

This is an enchanting book, that sneaks in a lot of science within its Christmas time setting. The skillful combination of story and fact, along with JIll Weber's superb illustrations (acrylic, gouache, and collage) set this apart from other seasonal fare. Ann Purmell's narration drawa the reader in quickly, showing the last stage of CHristmas Tree Farming--the harvest--first. A young boy and his grandpa ride up a tree-covered hillside covered with pine, spruce, and fir. Upon arriving, Grandpa selects a pine tree, and wood chips and crows alike scatter as he cuts it with a noisy, powerful chainsaw. Thoughout the afternoon, the boy and several animals (a floppy-eared bunny, a rabbit, and deer) watch until "the wagon is full of trees for people who cannot cut their own." I must admit that at first I thought that Grandpa would play Santa Claus to disabled or impoverished people. Nope! Grandpa sells them to people who can't--or won't--cut their own. However, this profitable venture is soaked in good feelings and neighborly touches: Complimentary cookies, and sound tips on "how to keep them fresh at home." Purmell then transitions to the agricultural science behind tree planting: THe hard work of tilling th esoil, planting the seeds, protecting them from hungry animals, and them shaping and pricing them. At the conclusion, the homey theme returns, as the whole family gathers back at the grandparents' "for an old-time tree-trimming party." Despite the gouache and acrylic media, JIll Weber uses lots of white space to lighten the tone and mood of her pictures. The cleverly arranged patterns (a string of lights, rows of trees, furrowed ground) give the pictures a Pennsylvania Dutch feeling --at times like a quilt--but with plenty of action and warmth. In other hands this might have seemed plodding and predictable, but the facts, the overarching family context, and the colorful, fresh pictures make this a cut above similar works. My only complaint is that the Blue Spruce could have been painted even blueer, but, when that's the only criticism, you know this is a worthy purchase. There's even a closing section showing Christmas tree varieties, Christmas Tree Lore, Christmas Tree Facts, and a Christmas Tree Time Line. A wonderfully realized inter-generational Christmas story, with equal amounts of sentiment and science for the younger set.

An uplifting and fun story about life on a Christmas Tree Farm. The story flowed well and the illustrations were colorful and engaging. Although I am an adult, I enjoy reviewing and collecting childrens literature. In addtion, as a person interested in owning her own Christmas tree farm soon, this book was a must have. To me, life on a Christmas tree farm is pure utopia.