My Wonderful Christmas Tree: The Action and Setting
The rhyming story begins when the narrator looks out the window on Christmas night and sees a shining star at the top of a pine tree. The narrator goes on to describe the animals that gather in the tree: 2 black bears, 3 bobcats, 4 porcupines, 5 raccoons, 6 snowy owls, 7 ruffed grouse, 8 gray squirrels, 9 bluejays, 10 evening grosbeaks, 11 chipmunks, and 12 chickadees.My Wonderful Christmas Tree: Words and Pictures by Dahlov Ipcar
Using muted colors and illustrations that cover the pages, with the embedded text in white on the black background of night, Dahlov Ipcar captures the quiet peace of a winter evening in the forest. In each double-page spread, an animal is introduced and described, as in "I saw three bobcats. / Three bobcats with spotted coats, / Tufted ears and soft white throats."As the introduction of animals continues, the mood remains peaceful, but the animals become more active. For example, Ipcar's painting of 8 squirrels shows 8 swiftly moving animals that she describes as "Leaping and rippling through the tree, / Dancing a dance so light and free." The final double-page spread shows a large tree filled with rows of forest animals, from the 2 bears at the top to the 12 chickadees at the bottom.
I recommend My Wonderful Christmas Tree for 3- to 6-year-olds. All ages, including adults, will enjoy the artwork. (Islandport Press, 2008, 1986. ISBN: 9781934031223)
