The Littlest Christmas Tree

PreS-Gr 1–A cute ursine Christmas tale. Daddy Bear and little Cubby, along with their neighboring animals, get ready to celebrate Christmas by looking for Christmas trees. After Cubby runs into a teeny evergreen, Daddy and Cubby take the tree home to decorate. Then, they wrap presents and drink hot chocolate. When Christmas Day arrives, Daddy, Cubby, and their friends have a merry, festive party. After the holiday is over, Cubby feels heartbroken, until Daddy comes up with a clever way to save the day and the little tree by planting it outside for the next year. While this might work for the bears, it is not a likely option for many readers who might be sad to part with their own tree. Chapman’s slightly bumbling, anthropomorphic animals are endearing as always, and the juxtaposition of the patient, but put upon, father and the overexcited, oblivious cub is both comical and true to life. The childlike ebullient tone of the story matches the bright colors of the illustrations. VERDICT Sweet and somewhat notable for having a single-parent household, this story can be a suitable addition to Christmas collections. But it is not a must, especially for those that already have the similar title by Chapman, Is It Christmas Yet? --School Library Journal