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The Christmas Tree Tangle
When a cat climbs to the top of the Christmas tree and can't get down, a series of would-be rescuers joins her
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Mahy
400 books291 followersMargaret Mahy was a well-known New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. While the plots of many of her books have strong supernatural elements, her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up.
Her books The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance both received the Carnegie Medal of the British Library Association. There have 100 children's books, 40 novels, and 20 collections of her stories published. Among her children's books, A Lion in the Meadow and The Seven Chinese Brothers and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate are considered national classics. Her novels have been translated into German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Catalan and Afrikaans. In addition, some stories have been translated into Russian, Chinese and Icelandic.
For her contributions to children's literature she was made a member of the Order of New Zealand. The Margaret Mahy Medal Award was established by the New Zealand Children's Book Foundation in 1991 to provide recognition of excellence in children's literature, publishing and literacy in New Zealand. In 2006 she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award (known as the Little Nobel Prize) in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature".
Margaret Mahy died on 23 July 2012.
On 29 April 2013, New Zealand’s top honour for children’s books was renamed the New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret...
Her books The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance both received the Carnegie Medal of the British Library Association. There have 100 children's books, 40 novels, and 20 collections of her stories published. Among her children's books, A Lion in the Meadow and The Seven Chinese Brothers and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate are considered national classics. Her novels have been translated into German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Catalan and Afrikaans. In addition, some stories have been translated into Russian, Chinese and Icelandic.
For her contributions to children's literature she was made a member of the Order of New Zealand. The Margaret Mahy Medal Award was established by the New Zealand Children's Book Foundation in 1991 to provide recognition of excellence in children's literature, publishing and literacy in New Zealand. In 2006 she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award (known as the Little Nobel Prize) in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature".
Margaret Mahy died on 23 July 2012.
On 29 April 2013, New Zealand’s top honour for children’s books was renamed the New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 13, 2019
4.5 stars.
This is SO good! If you are an animal lover this is a great little Christmas book. It's so cute, fun and funny. Definitely recommend. Plus this author I grew up with so double amazing. I don't remember reading this in kindy or primary school but I hope I did. Little Rachel would have liked it.
This is SO good! If you are an animal lover this is a great little Christmas book. It's so cute, fun and funny. Definitely recommend. Plus this author I grew up with so double amazing. I don't remember reading this in kindy or primary school but I hope I did. Little Rachel would have liked it.
June 7, 2019
This is for very young readers. The blurb says 2-6 years, but I know some 6 year olds that would not be entertained by this.
A cute, if unrealistic, story about a kitten climbing the village's Christmas tree, straight to the top ... and then can't get down (or so we think!). Lots of well-meaning animals scale the tree to help the kitten ... and get stuck, too. Finally, they are all rescued by a little girl ... in a very unique way.
One of the books in my daughter's Christmas collection.
5 Stars = For sentimental reasons.
A cute, if unrealistic, story about a kitten climbing the village's Christmas tree, straight to the top ... and then can't get down (or so we think!). Lots of well-meaning animals scale the tree to help the kitten ... and get stuck, too. Finally, they are all rescued by a little girl ... in a very unique way.
One of the books in my daughter's Christmas collection.
5 Stars = For sentimental reasons.
December 31, 2017
This is an interesting and fun Christmas read for children that explores the concept of when things go wrong. As a result the avid reader will be reminded of similar books such as The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly and Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom.
Like the latter it has a wonderful rhyming pattern and adds just the right element of suspense to keep the reader's attention. There is also just the right amount of repetition to remind young readers what had already happened and so it may also in a sense be an easy book to guess what mostly may happen in the following pages.
The illustrations are nicely realistic and detailed unlike many other Christmas-type books. As a result the reader more or less can relate in a roundabout way if their own communities have a tradition of preparing a local tree. Otherwise my only complaints to the pictures are the fact that the pigs more or less normally looks shifty when they aren't being cutely caught up.
My only final complaint may or may not be the fault of the publisher. As a result of reading this on a digital app I can't quite figure out the actual format of the story for there was a bunch of spacing and a page or two of verse before an illustration was thrown in. Eventually it will be nice to see an actual physical copy to see the right formatting style.
Most definitely a fun and animal-filled Christmas read that should catch the attention of young and old readers alike.
Like the latter it has a wonderful rhyming pattern and adds just the right element of suspense to keep the reader's attention. There is also just the right amount of repetition to remind young readers what had already happened and so it may also in a sense be an easy book to guess what mostly may happen in the following pages.
The illustrations are nicely realistic and detailed unlike many other Christmas-type books. As a result the reader more or less can relate in a roundabout way if their own communities have a tradition of preparing a local tree. Otherwise my only complaints to the pictures are the fact that the pigs more or less normally looks shifty when they aren't being cutely caught up.
My only final complaint may or may not be the fault of the publisher. As a result of reading this on a digital app I can't quite figure out the actual format of the story for there was a bunch of spacing and a page or two of verse before an illustration was thrown in. Eventually it will be nice to see an actual physical copy to see the right formatting style.
Most definitely a fun and animal-filled Christmas read that should catch the attention of young and old readers alike.
December 24, 2018
This is a cute book that follows a progression. It's not very believable though. The illustrations are nothing special. It's cute if you want a rhyming Christmas book with animals.
July 16, 2018
Quick reading and funny illustration & story. That kitten was indeed a trickster!
December 7, 2023
Cute old fashioned Christmas story, with lots of animal sounds and I could see the fun building with kids as more and more animals get stuck in the tree.
November 6, 2017
This re-publication of Margaret Mahy's The Christmas Tree Tangle is well-timed for the festive season. This is the story of a kitten who is stuck in a Christmas with a parade of animals, from a cat to some pigs, volunteering to come to her rescue. Of course, they also become stuck. And who finally rescues them all? You will need to read the book to find out.
This book is vintage Margaret Mahy with its rollicking, rhyming tale full of daring-do and disaster. Although the text is original, Sarah Davis has provided new illustrations. These are full of life and movement and the various animals are bursting with personality. There is one puzzling aspect to the illustration. Throughout the book, the Christmas tree is shown as standing in what looks like a village square - hence the farm animals in the vicinity. However, on the final two spreads the setting changes to a family living room. This anomaly won't worry the children though. Instead, they will be delighted with this tale of Christmas hijinks.
Reviewed by Penny Guy (Bookrapt)
This book is vintage Margaret Mahy with its rollicking, rhyming tale full of daring-do and disaster. Although the text is original, Sarah Davis has provided new illustrations. These are full of life and movement and the various animals are bursting with personality. There is one puzzling aspect to the illustration. Throughout the book, the Christmas tree is shown as standing in what looks like a village square - hence the farm animals in the vicinity. However, on the final two spreads the setting changes to a family living room. This anomaly won't worry the children though. Instead, they will be delighted with this tale of Christmas hijinks.
Reviewed by Penny Guy (Bookrapt)
November 9, 2020
A wonderful classic Christmas tale for children to read (and sing!)
As a cat decides to climb a Christmas tree and gets itself stuck, different animals try to (with difficulty!) help it get down.
Although it is a funny, and catchy story, children can also explore the theme of friendship - look at how many animals are willing to risk themselves getting stuck in the tree to save the kitten at the top!
A heart warming read!
As a cat decides to climb a Christmas tree and gets itself stuck, different animals try to (with difficulty!) help it get down.
Although it is a funny, and catchy story, children can also explore the theme of friendship - look at how many animals are willing to risk themselves getting stuck in the tree to save the kitten at the top!
A heart warming read!
December 23, 2018
I liked the rhythms and pictures but the kitten pissed me off. This jerk of a kitten pretends to be stuck in a tree. A bunch of animals try to save it, a la There-Was-An-Old-Lady-Who-Swallowed-A-Fly. Eventually this kitten is like, "Sucks to suck" and is a real jerk to its wannabe rescuers as it climbs down the tree (leaving them all stranded in the tree).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2023
Cute but mostly forgettable little poem about animals implausibly getting stuck in a Christmas tree (two pigs, a goat, a dog -- how big is this tree?). The most interesting thing was the sudden shift to first person near the end. Probably the least weird Mahy ever!
December 17, 2017
A marvelous masterpiece from our talented Magaret Mahy reprinted just in time for the festive season. Would make an ideal gift for a beginner reader.
January 10, 2019
My kids and kindergarten students LOVE this book. Me too!!
October 11, 2020
Enjoyed the rhyming aspect of the story
December 1, 2021
We have the newly reissued and illustrated version and my 6 year old still loves it, three Christmases later
December 7, 2023
I loved the rhythm and rhyme
July 30, 2013
Typically Christmas tales bore me, yet I LOVED the rhythmic text and beautiful illustrations in this must read holiday book. I found myself singing the words instead of reading them, and even with my poor singing voice, it made for a lively an surprisingly enjoyable read. This would be a perfect gift to place under the Christmas tree for little ones.
December 3, 2008
Various get tangled in a Christmas tree in an effort to rescue a kitten which is perched at the top.
December 5, 2011
I love reading this aloud to my Kindergarteners - what fun to say words like horrakatpotchkin!
December 9, 2012
Charming rhyming Christmas story fort the very young. Nostalgic reread for the mom whose child is much too old to listen to this story.
January 24, 2014
I loved the rhythm and rhyming of this book, how all the animals got stuck, and the ending. Naughty kitten!
December 6, 2010
Fun, silly
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews