The Christmas Eve Tree

A homeless boy and a scraggly fir tree rescue each other in this somber tale about the potential in all living things, including those that society casts aside. As the shopping bustle winds down on Christmas Eve, a boy wanders into a department store, attracted by the warmth and decorations. He spies a clerk throwing away a dejected fir tree and asks if he can have it. The late Huddy makes readers privy to the tree’s thoughts, and although it isn’t initially thrilled to be planted in a cardboard box under a bridge, the boy’s makeshift Christmas display attracts a gathering of carolers and musicians. Huddy’s story faces unpleasant realities and injustices head on, and Sutton’s (Tiny Creatures) finely detailed watercolors do the same, but while the tree thrives after being replanted in a city park, the boy’s fate is unknown—he simply wanders off—making for an inconclusive and unsettling ending. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)