The internet is a long lasting project, so it’s hard to say when you’re reading this. Still, I admit that I’m publishing this review in September, ages and ages before the holiday season. If you’re on book twitter, you already know about the expected book shortage coming this holiday season. And if not, I’ll tell you the short of it: book sellers are encouraging folks to order holiday gifts as early as possible. So I’m planning on covering said books as early as possible, too.
I’m kicking this off with a book that’s brand new to me. “Pick a Pine Tree” by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis is a rhyming children’s Christmas book. Rhyming children’s books can be controversial, but I’d argue it’s less about the rhyming as a concept and more about execution. I think this book largely pulls it off. There are a couple awkward pages, the word “ornament” is a bit of a bear to fit in a rhyme, but I enjoy reading the book aloud regardless.
The illustrations are exactly what I’d want from a Christmas book, too. The pages are snowy and warm at once, with plenty of pets making cameos to help decorate the Christmas tree. The story builds from finding the tree to decorating it, and the detailed illustrations are gifts that keep giving. The decorations accumulate until we reach the final spread of the book, a pop-up page where the Christmas tree comes to life. It’s just a sure win.
This book is a great gift for those who have and love Christmas trees, so it’s made my gift this list. It has a bit of glitter and shine that makes it a fun treat for children to unwrap. I’m waiting until after Halloween to debut this book to my toddler, so for now, there’s no kid rating. My rating alone will have to do!
The Verdict:
Grown Up Rating: 4/5
Kid Culture Reviews 