Maple & Willow's Christmas Tree

September 26, 2016
Maple and her younger sister, Willow, return in their fourth picture book, and they’re busy with the “hard work” of Christmas preparations, including baking cookies, selecting “the best Christmas tree... in the whole wide world,” and decorating it. When Maple starts sneezing as soon as the fir tree comes inside, the sisters’ visions of Christmas are upended. Nichols does a lovely job of showing the closeness between these girls (discussions of which tree is best are conducted in pig Latin) and how that closeness is, at least temporarily, threatened. “Willow, I’m sorry I ruined Christmas,” Maple confesses. “I’m sorry you ruined Christmas, too,” Willow replies. The younger girl’s anger and disappointment are short-lived, and her (truly unexpected) solution to their allergy-driven holiday dilemma will bring smiles to readers’ faces, just as it does to Maple’s. Ages 3–5. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media.

The fourth entry in the Maple & Willow series finds the sisters excited about Christmas preparations, especially getting their first real Christmas tree.This year the sisters are going to a tree farm with their parents to select a real tree. But as soon as the tree is brought into the house, Maple begins to sneeze uncontrollably. Their tree must be moved outside, and little sister Willow has something unkind to say about Christmas being ruined. Willow feels remorseful about hurting her big sister's feelings, so she creeps downstairs at night and decorates a small stepladder with lights and ornaments. Willow even lets Maple put the star on top of their creative Christmas ladder-tree. The understated humor, spare language, and white backgrounds convey a calm, minimalist world in which Christmas isn't overwhelming and sisters always work out their differences. Endearing illustrations in pencil with digital coloring show the two round-headed, light-skinned little girls enjoying their time together, from sledding to baking to building an unusual snowman. The illustrations of snow-covered evergreen trees are particularly intriguing, with fluffy layers of snow floating on prickly green tree branches with astonishing verisimilitude. The final, wordless page shows the sisters' Christmas gifts under the ladder, with a small, tree-shaped pot of rosemary for Maple and a wrapped watering can for the sisters to share. A charming addition to a winning series. (Picture book. 3-6) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-The fourth book featuring charming young sisters Maple and Willow is set at Christmas, when the excitement of getting a real tree for the first time is eclipsed by Maple's immediate allergic reaction to it. Both girls are sad when they have to put the tree outside as a result. After an exchange of words during which feelings are hurt, Willow gets creative and surprises Maple with a decorated ladder "tree." Cheerful pastel pencil drawings with plenty of white space appropriately capture the snowy season. VERDICT Simple yet satisfying, this story of sibling thoughtfulness and surprise successfully evokes the holiday spirit.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

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