ABOUT THE BOOK
Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree
Written by Richard Wagner
Illustrated by Sydni Kruger
Ages 3+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645437086
Publisher’s Synopsis: The world is not always a perfect place. Needles, a scraggly little tree, must endure criticism, laughter, and setbacks to realize his goal of becoming a beautiful Christmas tree.
This is a story of dreams, desires, hope, determination, and never giving up. It also offers the observation that what others think is beautiful may not really matter. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder and paired with the spirit of Christmas, maybe we can make the world just a little more perfect!
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MY REVIEW
No one wants to be forgotten at Christmas, not even the trees. Needles is a small tree with big dreams; he wants to become a lovely Christmas tree and share the holidays with a family. Even though the other trees mock him, he holds onto his goal. And when he is passed over time and again at the tree lot (picture the tiny tree in the Charlie Brown Christmas special), he still holds onto hope. Through all the ridicule and disparaging comments from fellow trees and humans, Needles longs to become a beautiful part of Christmas. This is a story of hopes and dreams and how hard they may be to achieve, or even to believe in, when everyone else belittles them. But it is also the story of how people may look at the same thing with completely different reactions. Emily sees a tree that has the perfect spacing of branches and even the perfect size for her. And when she hangs all her most precious items on it, neighbors see a beautiful tree in her living room window, even though some of those neighbors may have been the customers who overlooked Needles earlier. Acceptance and love are wonderful things to share, especially at the holidays. Reading a story like this could remind youngsters to be grateful for the blessings they have and to look for the beauty in everyone and everything around them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Wagner grew up in Southern California. When he was fourteen years old, a business friend of his father’s had a small Christmas tree delivered as a thank-you. Their family already had a large tree decorated in the house. Not being able to find anyone who needed a tree, that small Christmas tree stood outside by itself for the remainder of the Christmas holiday. Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree is a tribute to that little tree and what might have been, but more importantly, to all the beauty, goodness, and hope that Christmas brings to us all. Mr. Wagner continues to reside in Southern California with his wife and two children.
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New to this book but would love to read it with the grandchildren
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