The Littlest Christmas Tree

by Jasin Janie, Pam Kurtz (Illustrator)

great kids christmas story.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fantasy, Nature

32 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[✨Arline✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations are beautiful: lots of birds and animals.

The religious words are vague enough to apply to any “creator,” and it also has a nice pagan feel to it: sky, sun, wind and rain worship.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, though it was difficult to be excited for the tree growing in a tree farm and destined to be cut down.

[Joan Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous little book that makes a great gift for Christmas. It has sold over 1 million copies and I am honored that the author Janie Jasin has been my client and my dear friend. I highly recommend this book and anything written by Janie. She is also a terrific motivational speaker.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to order this one from Barnes and Noble. Could not find on shelves in stores. Beautiful book about what a tree wants to become when it grows up. Life application of being the best you are.

[Crazy Uncle Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was OK. I thought the pictures were cute but the story was kinda so-so.

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a little to sappy for my taste, no pun intended. I don't know if my kids got the message it was trying to get across.

[Zoe McCurley]

Summary:
The Littlest Christmas Tree is a cute children's book by Janie Jasin. The story is told of a small pine tree that waits in the forest to grow tall so she can be picked by an owner. The tree worries that no one will pick her because she is too small. However, the tree is able to see the beauty around her and appreciate the world she lives in. She soon comes to realize that maybe her purpose isn't to grow into a tall christmas tree. Instead, she could provide shelter for small animals and birds and she could even be brought into a home as a window frame. The tree no longer feels worried but instead is excited about the possibilities life may bring her.

Response:
I love the message this book sends. We are all created with a purpose but not everyone's purpose is the same. Just because we may not become what we thought we would, doesn't we can't still be something amazing. I think children would love this book and could learn a lot from it. It is very encouraging and inspiring and I would highly recommend it.

How I would use it:
I would use this book in therapy around Christmas time with a fun and festive activity to go along with it. I may also use this book with specific clients that may see themselves the same way the littlest christmas tree sees herself in the beginning and maybe it would help them to have more confidence in themselves and find their purpose. I would also recommend this book to parents so they could read it at home with their children if we didn't read it in therapy.

[Jasmine Shadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty illustrations that will draw the attention of the young. I enjoy the message, especially in the end when the little tree realizes it is wonderful to be happy in the day that you are in without needing to find your happiness when you "arrive" at your desired destination. Delightful and charming little book. Not to long so it will hold the attention even of the younger children.

[Alexis Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute bedtime story for winter! The littlest Christmas tree was such a lovely story about patience and achieving dreams. Sometimes we all need to be reminded to have patience with ourselves and our dreams so that the come true when the time is right. The illustrations were beautiful and I loved the before and after transformation of the tree.

[Amara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much talk of the "Creator". Capitalizes the words "Sky", "Heavens", "Sun", and "Rain". One star for being a somewhat cute story if you can ignore all the spiritual mumbo-jumbo, and one star for beautiful illustrations.

[Christie-anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most darling colour pencil border illustrations add such cozy charm to this sweet story. A tree thinking positive thoughts, dreaming of possible futures, while accepting its situation and taking joy in the now. Not much happens but the tree demonstrates such a good mindset.

[Ms.soule · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole family agreed - this is the Scuffy the Tugboat of Christmas books.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet metaphor.

[Kaden Dybdahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the tale of the story!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love colored pencil illustrations! Good underlying message of gratitude.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute short story.

[Kristin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book for my class!

[Michell Karnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful little story about a small evergreen wishing to be a Christmas tree.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a precious 'finding oneself' book. Its nice for people from toddler to elderly. The little tree wanted most of all to eventually be a Christmas tree. So as she stood and grew she thanked those that helped her, the sky, the wind, the birds etc. She would 'listen' to the taller grown trees as they spoke and learnt from them. She wasn't scared when the guy came to trim her because she had listened to them speak. Then she realized that 'what if' she didn't become a Christmas tree? What then? She thought of all the things she 'could' do and although she would be a bit upset she knew that God may have other plans for her. So as she grew she also grew emotionally. This simple book reminds the reader that it's okay to have a 'second plan' or even a 'third plan' for their lives if what you would like doesn't work out. Be thankful for the things around them.

[Chanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book it is really cute. It talks about this tree that wants to be chosen to be with a family when it grows big and strong. Throughout the book, the tree talks about how its thankful for the sun, wind, rain ,and sky for helping it grow. The tree becomes worried that it wont be picked, but realizes that as long as it grows big and strong and can be seen that it is alright if it doesn't get picked. It can be a home to many other things. I think this would be great to read to students during the holidays. You could talk about the importance of Christmas and what Christmas means to them.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel in love with this book upon first reading. The illustrations are beautiful and feature a great deal of detail on every page. It feels like a handcrafted book just for you. The story itself is cute and carries a very positive message without forcing it down your throat. The things I loved it for as a child make me love it even more as an adult. The CD is an added bonus! I met this author at a Christmas Tree Growers Conference in 1999. I was about 10 years old and wanted to be a writer. She took the time to speak with me and sign my book. You can tell that she has a passion for what she does! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new holiday classic.

[Tayler Bingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that helps tell the story of a young seed who wants with her very last wish to be a Christmas tree when she is all grown up. She struggles to be a Christmas tree and thinks about all the back up plans that she could be, just to realize she is thankful for whatever she has from the Creator. This book is written very poorly. The book is very tiny, with most of the book being text rather than pictures and text. The illustrations are very childlike, the only redeeming quality. However, I could use this book to help teach children that although they can be whatever they want to be, sometimes it is nice to recognize what your talents are and accept who you were made to be.

[Mistiemae1 Downs · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Littlest Christmas Tree" by Janie Jasin is a sweet little children's book about an evergreen tree who wishes to grow big enough to serve as a family's Christmas tree.

The illustrations by Pam Kurtz were lively and colorful. My children had fun pointing out the different birds and animals that they knew in the pictures. Unfortunately, I think the text was too disjointed for what could have been a cute story. I found myself checking to see if I'd skipped pages because of the lack of continuity in the story, and my children were not as engaged as usual.

[Katie Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a nice book about a tree who wants to be a part of a family for Christmas. The tree thinks about all of the other things it could do with its life. Students may have a hard time figuring out the author's message. Also is too religious for school.

[Terrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but it didn't catch my kids' attention. Maybe next year.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 150609 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 4.1 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Elanor]

All by herself!

[Cathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice nature-oriented, feel-good story, perhaps a bit dull to me but great for young readers. Lovely illustrations!

[Country Fun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story idea is good. Some of the wording just didn't fit with my group. I worked the reading and we focused on discussion of the detailed illustrations.