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The Year Of The Perfect Christmas Tree | December 21, 2011

by Gloria Houston illustrated by Barbara Cooney (Penguin, Oct. 1996)

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree (by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Barbara Cooney) is the right picture book to get me in the holiday mood—really, anything illustrated by Barbara Cooney makes me feel like cozying up by a fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate! This year, Ruthie’s family is chosen to get the town’s Christmas tree, and she and her father pick out the perfect one. But that summer, Ruthie’s father is called away to war and Ruthie’s family has to make do without many things—and certainly without any toys or new clothes. When Christmas comes, Ruthie’s father still hasn’t returned home from the Great War—will the town still get its Christmas tree? Will Ruthie be a good angel in the town pageant? And will her father come home? Ruthie shows bravery, resilience, and selflessness in this evocative Christmas story!

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