Night Tree

I thought this book was very interesting. It was a good book for Christmas or to teach children about nature. It talked about the different things you see in nature such as wildlife. It also showed great family interaction and holiday traditions.

Story showing family activity, in the woods giving food to the animals, enjoying the holiday
Colorful illustrations, text supposedly from child's standpoint

This is the beautiful story of a family that returns to the same tree in the forest every year and decorates "their" Christmas tree with food for the animals of the forest. The family brings a blanket and hot chocolate to sing carols around the tree after they've hung the apples and oranges and

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strung the popcorn strands around the tree.

The book has a powerful, yet subtle, environmental message. The illustrations are dark, but not haunting, merely representative of the forest at night-time. There is no white space. The plot is sweet, innocent, and stands to speak for the spirit of Christmas. The characters are somewhat undefined, as in, there is a mother, a father, a young boy (the narrator), and a little sister, but the reader does not learn very much about them. They are less significant than the tree.

Highly recommended for elementary school libraries.

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A very special family Christmas tradition is celebrated annually when the family goes out into the woods at night and decorates a tree for the birds. Family, Christmas, giving, and nature are all celebrated in this story of one family's holiday tradition.

This book is a little bit long to read to a small group, so I think that I would read this probably to a fourth or fifth grade whole class instruction. It is a very good story and a lovely read because it talks of family time and the wonderful things that happen on a Christmas Eve night.

This book is about Christmas time and a tree. The family goes out to the forest and finds a tree every year and decorate it. The entire purpose is to do it on Christmas Eve so the animals can have a Christmas dinner like everyone else.

The Night Tree is a sweet Christmas story about a family who sets out one night to find a Christmas tree the on Christmas Eve. They go to a place called Luke's Forest to look for the perfect tree. The family finds a tree and they decorate it with popcorn, apples, and tangerines. The family hangs

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balls of sunflower seeds on the tree. They also scatter shelled nuts and breadcrumbs under the tree. The family spreads a blanket under the tree and they sing Christmas carols and drink hot chocolate. The family goes home and they imagine all of the animals in the forest that are eating the treats that they left on the tree. The illustrations in this story are beautiful and they do a great job of depicting the story. This book is the most appropriate for advanced readers.

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A wonderful, heartfelt christmas story that is not quite the same as most. In this book, a family travels to a forest to find the perfect christmas tree. However, they do not want to chop it down, instead they decorate it each year in the forest for the animals. The use popcorn, birdseeds,

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breadcrumbs, and other various items. That night the family thinks about all the different animals enjoying their own christmas dinner. A beautifully written story! Great for the holiday season!

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The story is about a family that each Christmas eve goes out into the forest and decorates a live tree with popcorn, apples, suit and other things the animals would like to eat.

I connected with the story because I have often felt a little guilty having a live tree in my home during the holidays.

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The setting of the book being mostly in the woods in winter lent to the time-frame of the story.

Decorating a live tree with items that animals in the woods will eat like in the story will connect the students to the text and helping others (even animals) is a good way to build self esteem.

Having students act out some of their own holiday traditions will create an atmosphere of understand and cultural awarness. Many children think that all holidays are celebrated the same was as in their home.

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The Night Tree is a sweet Christmas story about a family who sets out one night to find a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. They go to a place called Luke's Forest to look for the perfect tree. appropriate for advanced readers. Great for the holiday season

Gorgeous artwork complements this nice story about a family that goes into the woods and decorates a tree with popcorn, apples, birdseed, and other natural things for the animals of the forest to feast on for Christmas. It has a nostalgic feel. Another title that would be great for a

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Christmas/winter themed storytime. The illustrations are large, some double-page spreads, and not too detaily or fussy.

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What a nice story! I assumed the family was going to cut down the tree for their home, but instead they leave food for the wildlife, Sweet tradition!

This book is about a family who visits one particular tree in "Luke's forest" every year around Christmas. When the family visits the tree, they always marvel about how its grown, and compare it to their family's growth. This book is enhanced by wonderful illustrations of the tree under the bright

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moon, the forest, and especially the family hugging near the tree after they had decorated it. Also, they leave food under the tree for the nearby wildlife. A very nice book about family tradition and togetherness.

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A family sets out on their annual trek to find their Christmas tree in this engaging holiday story from the prolific Eve Bunting. Rather than cutting it down, however, they decorate it right there in the woods, hanging garlands of popcorn, apples and oranges, and homemade sunflower-seed-balls on

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it, for the local animal population. Then, in the quiet of the dark night, they sit and watch, drinking hot chocolate, and singing Christmas carols...

Simply told, and beautifully illustrated, Night Tree is just a lovely book, with a quiet, contemplative feeling that will leave the reader feeling peaceful and content. Like another reviewer, I found myself wishing, as I was reading, that I had a tradition like this, for my own holiday observances. How wonderful, to track the growth of the same tree, over the years, and to return to it each December! I was reminded of the story in Patricia Polacco's Uncle Vova's Tree, which also includes an outdoor tree, decorated with treats for the animals. Recommended (highly!) to young readers who are looking for something a little different, in their Christmas tree stories.

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This a touching Christmas story, a family has made it a tradition to go and find a tree on the night before Christmas. Great story that children can relate to their own family traditions.

A family is happily going to find their tree. But it’s no ordinary tree. They go deep in the forest with decorations and hot chocolate. They find there beautiful tree in the forest. In the cold winter night beneath the stars. I like this book because it shows you how different this family is.

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Instead of having a normal tree in their house they have one in the forest and make it a special occasion going to decorate it.

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About a unique Christmas Eve tradition that we both thought was the coolest thing ever! I think we have a new tradition here!

Realistic fiction. This book is about a family that goes out looking for a real Christmas tree. While looking for the perfect tree they run into a deer. At first the family was scared they didn't know if the deer would attack them. The family had planted their very own tree in the woods. Each year

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they would look at it to see if it was the perfect size to decorate it. Well this was finally the year and they decorated it in the woods just for the animals to enjoy.

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Nicely illustrated children's book and a cute story about a unique family .Christmas tradition