From Booklist
Ages 4-6. After Steve punches Danny in the nose over whether the kings were more important than the shepherds in the Christmas play, their teacher settles the issue calmly, saying, "My old granny even used to say that those Three Kings are still traveling the world, carrying presents." Feeling guilty for the punch, Steve gives Danny, whose mother can't afford a Christmas tree, a little tree from Steve's yard. Unfortunately, the tree is smashed by a truck while Danny is dragging it across the highway. Though they give Danny a ride home and take his family to school for the play, the truck driver and his two friends can't stay for the performance. When Danny, his mother, and brother return home, a lovely tree awaits them. In spite of the predictability of the plot, the genuine warmth of the season glows through the smooth text. Snowy winter scenes and indoor views in lovely watercolor paintings enhance the story's emotional feeling. Although Cooper's prose does not equal her compelling novels for middle and older readers, such as
The Boggart , this gentle holiday story wears well.
Deborah Abbott
From Kirkus Reviews
From the renowned author of The Dark is Rising series, a Christmas tale in which the Three Kings, in the guise of truck drivers, bring a Christmas tree to a poor family: a gentle story of fraternal affection and childlike faith, with the miraculous ending diminished not an iota by the trailer park and truckstop setting. Smith's realistic illustrations place the story squarely in the here and now, but he has a particular gift for painting the effects of different kinds of light--the flat harsh glare of a roadside cafe, the sharp-edged shadows cast by stage lights at a Christmas pageant, blinding headlights diffracted by thickly falling snow- -that also suggests the awe and wonder of the season. Something different, and very nice, for the Christmas collection. (Picture book. 5-9) --
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