Find joy in the simplest of gifts with ‘A Christmas Tree for Pyn’

“A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR PYN,” by Olivier Dunrea, Philomel, October 13, 2011, $16.99 (ages 3 and up)

Detailing the quiet love between a backwoods father and his young daughter, “A Christmas Tree for Pyn” illustrates how the holidays can illuminate the care and devotion between family members that sometimes stays hidden during the normal wear and tear of everyday life.

Teensy, mother-less Pyn truly desires a real Christmas – with a tree!! – this year.  This is something her rough and grumble hulk of a father is not quite willing to promise at the start of the season.  Readers and listeners are left to discover how Pyn and Oother’s Christmas will come together, and whether this Christmas will fulfill tiny Pyn’s dreams.

Text-rich, with some patterned passages for read-a-long listeners, “A Christmas Tree for Pyn” will primarily suit those children ready to sit and listen to a longer story.  Bold-colored illustrations with quirky details please the eye along the way.  (One such detail being a furry mouse who scurries across each page while assisting Pyn in her daily duties.)  Adult readers will appreciate the message of uncharacteristic yet genuine love, as well as that of finding joy in the simplest of Christmas gifts.

A seasonal tale sure to touch the heart and highlight the importance of family, “A Christmas Tree for Pyn” would do well in any holiday library.

***This guest review is by Jamie Wood, a mother of three who enjoys brainwashing her children to read as many books as they can in one day. She does this by sitting on the couch and telling them she can’t talk now because she’s reading a book. So far all has gone well, and they are happily enjoying reading time together.