Written by: Richard H Schneider
Illustrated by: Elizabeth J Miles
This book is absolutely beautiful in every way. The illustrations are stunning, depicting a snowy winter wonderland with a magical, fairy-tale quality that draws readers in from the very first page.
The story centers around a tree named Small Pine, who is expected to be the most beautiful and perfect tree of the year—surely the one the queen will choose to place in her castle. As the queen travels through the forest with her woodsmen in search of the perfect tree, she comes upon Small Pine. At first glance, the tree appears flawed, missing branches and dotted with noticeable gaps. The queen is ready to have her discarded, until she notices tiny footprints surrounding the tree.
In that moment, the queen realizes that Small Pine has shown selfless love by giving her branches to help the forest animals throughout the winter. Moved by this act of kindness, the queen quickly chooses Small Pine to be the Christmas tree. Her love, generosity, and selflessness beautifully reveal the true meaning of Christmas.
