Synopses & Reviews
When Wilma decides that her garden needs a new beginning, she gathers string, scissors, shovels, sixty-two dozen balsam seedlings, and Parker, her five-year-old neighbor. Year after year, Wilma and Parker nurture their trees, keeping careful count of how many they plant, how many perish, and how many grow to become Christmas trees. and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; This companion to the award-winning Pumpkins: A Story for a Field is a lyrical, behind-the-scenes look at the intricate lives of Christmas trees. and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Includes an authorand#8217;s note about the history and cultivation of Christmas trees.
Review
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"Ray tells her story in simple, lyrical language that focuses on the trees and their growth. She doesnand#8217;t have to spell out that Wilma and Parker are great friends and that shared goals and work forge strong bonds. All those aspects of the nuanced plot are apparent in the spare story and in the beautifully understated watercolor illustrations."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review, 11/1/08
Synopsis
This is a story about a field and a man who loved it enough to do something to save it from development. and#8220;Based on the authorand#8217;s personal efforts to protect the land, this story broadcasts a deliberate and timely environmental message that, like the intentionally nameless protagonist,
anyone can make a difference. Aglow in harvest tones, Rootand#8217;s strong watercolor and gouache paintings heighten the storyand#8217;s magic.and#8221;--
BooklistSynopsis
An evocative celebration of Christmas trees
About the Author
MARY LYN RAY has written many acclaimed picture books, including Mud, which received the Minnesota Book Award and was an IRA-CBC Childrenand#8217;s Choice. She lives in South Danbury, New Hampshire.and#160;BARRY ROOT is the illustrator of more than thirty books for children, including Tiki and Ronde Barberand#8217;s Teammates, Game Day, and By My Brotherand#8217;s Side. He lives in Drumore, Pennsylvania.