Christmas Farm

Author Mary Lyn Ray and illustrator Barry Root, who previously collaborated on Pumpkins: A Story for a Field and Alvah and Arvilla, join forces again in Christmas Farm. When Wilma decides she wants to try something different with her garden, the idea of Christmas trees comes to her. Enlisting the help of Parker, her young neighbor, she plants sixty-two dozen (744) balsam trees. She and Parker care for the trees, over the coming years, and although they lose some to frost, and to wild animals, they manage to sell 566 trees their first year...

I'm glad that my goodreads friend Manybooks recommended this one to me - thank you! - as I might not have picked it up on my own, given my mixed feelings about this author/illustrator team's show more Pumpkins: A Story for a Field. That would have been a shame, as Christmas Farm is an appealing holiday picture-book, pairing an engaging slice-of-(country)life tale with lovely artwork. I appreciated the inclusion of a brief author's afterword, where Ray discusses the history of the Christmas tree, and its cultivation as a commercial crop in the United States. All in all, a sweet little book, one I would recommend to all young Christmas tree-lovers, as well as to those looking for children's stories featuring basic business and/or conservation concepts. show less

I like this better as a fable about growth, and as a story of an inter-generational friendship, than as a straight story about a tree farm. Despite what the author's note says, I'm not convinced a tree farm is good for wildlife. Of course, plastic trees aren't, either, and many people don't have yards where they can grow a tree. Anyway, it's mostly a lovely story and the illustrations suit.

This story is quite slow. It's about a woman who decides to grow christmas trees. We followed her and the neighbor boys a few years until the first cut. The story is sweet, but a bit boring unless you are really interested in christmas trees.

Wilma has grown flowers in her garden for many years. However, when winter arrives she decides that she needs a new challenge in the spring. Thus, she orders dozens of balsams for planting. Together with her five-year-old neighbor, Parker, they nurture the little trees. The years go by, and they keep track of how many trees survive. As Parker grows up, so do the trees until one year the trees are ready. The trees are tagged and sold to families looking for the perfect Christmas tree. The next spring, Wilma and Parker are ready to begin planting again.

The Bottom Line: This charming book is perfect for little ones wondering about how Christmas trees are grown and harvested. The story features a heartwarming friendship between two show more neighbors, one young and one old. It also emphasizes the value of hard work and patience. Beautiful, wintry illustrations in watercolor and gouache bring the story to life. Highly recommended for kids in grades K - 4.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. show less

I read this book aloud to my children.

The story is about a woman named Wilma who loves to garden but wants something more of a challenge than the same old petunias and sunflowers. While chopping down a tree (I love this independent woman!) in the forest on her property, she realizes that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to grow their own Christmas trees. And so her plan begins to grow a Christmas tree farm.

With the help of the five-year old boy next door named Parker, Wilma measures the rows, digs the holes, and plants the seedlings. Parker continues to help Wilma over the years watching the seedlings grow more each year, and he learns it takes a lot of work to ensure that the seedlings survive! Not all of them do, and some show more are lost each year to wildlife and the inclement weather. With careful nurturing, the majority of the trees survive. After five years' growth, they are ready to be sold as Christmas trees!

This is a feel-good Christmas story! Parker learns the value of hard work, and Wilma and Parker both are filled with joy knowing that their Christmas trees are bringing smiles to the faces of young and old alike.

Ray includes additional information at the end of the book about the history of Christmas trees, which we found very interesting!

We all loved this book, and it is a great addition to your seasonal reading!

MY RATING: 5 stars!! Loved it!! show less

This one had lovely illustrations of a beautiful pastoral Christmas tree farm. The text was not too long and it would be great for sharing at storytime. A lot of the illustrations are double-page spreads - very large format and viewable from a distance. It would be perfect if your looking for non-religious Christmas/winter stories to share.

I give this book a 5 star rating. On Christmas Eve, a family gets ready for bed when the father suddenly hears a noise outside and spots Santa’s sleigh in the sky. The author describes how Santa goes to each house and unpacks his presents. The father spies on him the whole time and describes his encounter with Santa Claus. This book a great book to get students excited about the Christmas holiday. This book could also be used to go over elements of poetry. This picture book uses a lot of rhyming schemes.