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The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story
This unforgettable tale, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney, has become a seasonal classic-a touching and joyful story about courage and the power of family.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 1988
14 people are currently reading
3077 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Houston
18 books21 followersGloria Houston was a teacher and a native of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Ms. Houston taught students of all ages. Ms. Houston wrote several books for children, including the best-selling My Great-Aunt Arizona, illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb; The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; and LittleJim. She lived in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
December 14, 2022
As someone who didn’t often read holiday books or watch Christmas movies, I have seeking them both out this year. I find the traditions and sense of family comforting.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree was recommended to me when I was purchasing another Christmas book. It’s intended for children, and when I purchased it, I had no idea it was set in the North Carolina Appalachian mountains. That and the fact that’s based on a true story passed down through generations made this one extra special. Also, the illustrations are glorious and so festive.
Overall, this is a sweet, nostalgic read, and with the father being at the center of the story, it was extra poignant this holiday.
Many of reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree was recommended to me when I was purchasing another Christmas book. It’s intended for children, and when I purchased it, I had no idea it was set in the North Carolina Appalachian mountains. That and the fact that’s based on a true story passed down through generations made this one extra special. Also, the illustrations are glorious and so festive.
Overall, this is a sweet, nostalgic read, and with the father being at the center of the story, it was extra poignant this holiday.
Many of reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
December 23, 2021
It was getting on toward the Christmas Ruthie would never forget. The Christmas when the village almost did not have a Christmas Tree. It happened this way. Ruthie told me so.
As the Great War ramps up across the sea, a little girl and her Papa select a perfect balsam tree up on a ridge to be the Christmas for the village when it is the girl's turn to play the angel. Papa has to go to war before the tree can be cut. As Christmas draws nearer, that village in the Appalachian mountains wonders where they will get a tree for Christmas Eve. Will the father come back home in time? How will Mama make the little girl's angel costume without money to purchase fabric? In a time of need, a family finds a way and the story is passed down through the generations after. With illustrations by Barbara Cooney (Caldecott winner for "The Ox-Cart Man" and "Chanticleer the Fox"), this heartwarming tale will illuminate your Christmas experience.
As the Great War ramps up across the sea, a little girl and her Papa select a perfect balsam tree up on a ridge to be the Christmas for the village when it is the girl's turn to play the angel. Papa has to go to war before the tree can be cut. As Christmas draws nearer, that village in the Appalachian mountains wonders where they will get a tree for Christmas Eve. Will the father come back home in time? How will Mama make the little girl's angel costume without money to purchase fabric? In a time of need, a family finds a way and the story is passed down through the generations after. With illustrations by Barbara Cooney (Caldecott winner for "The Ox-Cart Man" and "Chanticleer the Fox"), this heartwarming tale will illuminate your Christmas experience.
December 29, 2022
3.5 stars
A simple story about a family who are to provide the village Christmas tree when the father of the family goes off to war.
I really enjoyed Barbara Cooney's illustrations and it was so refreshing to see an illustration of a Christmas tree depicted with the branches pointing upwards rather than most or virtually all depictions with drooping down branches.
This was an enjoyable story about a family who had very little and faced the prospect of losing a family member.
A simple story about a family who are to provide the village Christmas tree when the father of the family goes off to war.
I really enjoyed Barbara Cooney's illustrations and it was so refreshing to see an illustration of a Christmas tree depicted with the branches pointing upwards rather than most or virtually all depictions with drooping down branches.
This was an enjoyable story about a family who had very little and faced the prospect of losing a family member.
August 18, 2018
It wouldn't be Christmas without this story. This book has become a part of the joy of Christmas for children both big and small at our house. Magical.
November 1, 2017
This is a sweet story that children will love at Christmas time, and the illustrations are really great.
A little girl named Ruthie is picked to be the angel at the Christmas play, but she has no angel costume to wear. Her father is away from home in a war that is across the sea, which has created a hardship for them, plus she misses him dearly.
Her family was also picked to bring the Christmas tree to the town that year, and so the summer before they had picked one out, and this year I had to go find it.
This was a very sweet book, but what will stay with me for a long time, well, until next year.
A little girl named Ruthie is picked to be the angel at the Christmas play, but she has no angel costume to wear. Her father is away from home in a war that is across the sea, which has created a hardship for them, plus she misses him dearly.
Her family was also picked to bring the Christmas tree to the town that year, and so the summer before they had picked one out, and this year I had to go find it.
This was a very sweet book, but what will stay with me for a long time, well, until next year.
December 18, 2020
It is Christmas time in the year 1918, and Ruthie and her mother await the return of Ruthie's father, off fighting in World War I, in this poignant and heart-satisfying holiday tale set in a small Appalachian village. When the pastor comes calling to remind Ruthie's mother that it is their family's turn to supply the church Christmas tree - an annual village tradition - she and Ruthie set out, the night before Christmas Eve, to find the perfect balsam fir, and to make good on their obligation. Sacrificing her own wedding dress, as well as the silk stocking sent to her as a special present, Ruthie's mother makes her a wonderful Christmas surprise, but no gift is greater than the one they both receive, after the church Christmas pageant...
The third Appalachian-themed picture-book I have read from the wonderfully talented Gloria Houston, following upon her My Great-Aunt Arizona and Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile , The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story pairs a moving tale of family love and community tradition with lovely artwork from Caldecott medalist Barbara Cooney. I loved all of the little regional details here, and the many bits of Christmas song that Ruthie and her mother sing as they harvest the tree. I particularly appreciated that there was mention of I Wonder as I Wander , an Appalachian folk song that has always been one of my favorites. The illustrations were beautiful, and captured the magic of Ruthie's mountain home, and her nighttime journey. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Christmas stories and/or tales set in Appalachia, as well as to fans of Barbara Cooney's artwork.
The third Appalachian-themed picture-book I have read from the wonderfully talented Gloria Houston, following upon her My Great-Aunt Arizona and Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile , The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story pairs a moving tale of family love and community tradition with lovely artwork from Caldecott medalist Barbara Cooney. I loved all of the little regional details here, and the many bits of Christmas song that Ruthie and her mother sing as they harvest the tree. I particularly appreciated that there was mention of I Wonder as I Wander , an Appalachian folk song that has always been one of my favorites. The illustrations were beautiful, and captured the magic of Ruthie's mountain home, and her nighttime journey. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Christmas stories and/or tales set in Appalachia, as well as to fans of Barbara Cooney's artwork.
December 8, 2017
I don't tend to put children's books on my Goodreads. I do not have kids of my own nor do I get much exposure to them from friends. But this book is by far my favorite Christmas book in the world.
See, it's tradition. I'm 26 and married and we still do this. We have a stack of Christmas books at my parents' house and my brother and I both have our favorites. We read them aloud to the family, sitting around a warm Christmas fire (weather permitting of course) and think about how many beautiful Christmases we have spent together.
This book is the reason why I insist on having a real tree for Christmas. A balsam tree that fills the air with the scent of fir and memories. A little girl and her mother wait for her father to come home from war. They find the tree that he picked out in the Spring and bring it to the church for the Christmas services.
So the point of Christmas is talking about hope, ultimately. Hope for Spring and good crops in the pagan traditions. (In fact, this is why there are Christmas bonfires. The ash is spread over the fields as fertilizer afterwards.) Hope for being saved. The start of a new year. Families coming together. This book is about hope and perseverance. It seems as years go on, we need more hope and strength so like a sea turtle finding its beach where it was born, I come back to this book every year and renew my hope.
Merry Christmas.
See, it's tradition. I'm 26 and married and we still do this. We have a stack of Christmas books at my parents' house and my brother and I both have our favorites. We read them aloud to the family, sitting around a warm Christmas fire (weather permitting of course) and think about how many beautiful Christmases we have spent together.
This book is the reason why I insist on having a real tree for Christmas. A balsam tree that fills the air with the scent of fir and memories. A little girl and her mother wait for her father to come home from war. They find the tree that he picked out in the Spring and bring it to the church for the Christmas services.
So the point of Christmas is talking about hope, ultimately. Hope for Spring and good crops in the pagan traditions. (In fact, this is why there are Christmas bonfires. The ash is spread over the fields as fertilizer afterwards.) Hope for being saved. The start of a new year. Families coming together. This book is about hope and perseverance. It seems as years go on, we need more hope and strength so like a sea turtle finding its beach where it was born, I come back to this book every year and renew my hope.
Merry Christmas.
December 7, 2023
Stories about Christmas are often so similar, that when I find one that stands out, I want to gather the kids and say, "Listen to this!" Here, Houston lets us share some time with an only child who lives on a farm near a small Appalachian town. It's 1918, and the war is over, but when it's time for the Christmas program, her father still hasn't returned home.
Two songs are mentioned in the story, neither of which are familiar to me. I thought they might be included at the end of the story, but they weren't. The songs:
• Jesus, Jesus, rest your head. You have got a manger bed. an Appalachian lullaby
• I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
As is usually the case, Barbara Cooney's art fits the story beautifully. (I wonder how/who matches artists with stories.)
Probably not for a very young audience ... but then again, they may be enchanted by how different this story is from most others. (I think it would have been a favorite of mine at around age 7.)
Two songs are mentioned in the story, neither of which are familiar to me. I thought they might be included at the end of the story, but they weren't. The songs:
• Jesus, Jesus, rest your head. You have got a manger bed. an Appalachian lullaby
• I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
As is usually the case, Barbara Cooney's art fits the story beautifully. (I wonder how/who matches artists with stories.)
Probably not for a very young audience ... but then again, they may be enchanted by how different this story is from most others. (I think it would have been a favorite of mine at around age 7.)
November 16, 2022
Oh. If this isn't a traditional read, you should make it so. Start it this Christmas!
The story is wonderfully told and strong depictions of family, tradition and honor linger with you even after the book is closed. And Barbara Cooney, an illustrator that I adore, did the pictures. They're both enchanting and memorable.
Ages: 4 - 10
Cleanliness: Mentions St. Nicholas in the story and a man dresses in costume as him during a church play.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
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The story is wonderfully told and strong depictions of family, tradition and honor linger with you even after the book is closed. And Barbara Cooney, an illustrator that I adore, did the pictures. They're both enchanting and memorable.
Ages: 4 - 10
Cleanliness: Mentions St. Nicholas in the story and a man dresses in costume as him during a church play.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
November 29, 2024
It’s Ruthie’s family’s turn to give the perfect Christmas tree for the village and it’s Ruthie’s turn to be the angel in the Christmas play. But how will this happen when Ruthie’s father is away at the war and there is no money for angel clothes? Best part: when Ruthie thought the doll felt just like the silk stockings her father had sent her mother. Ages 5-12.
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December 27, 2021It was getting on toward the Christmas Ruthie would never forget. The Christmas when the village almost did not have a Christmas Tree. It happened this way. Ruthie told me so.
As the Great War ramps up across the sea, a little girl and her Papa select a perfect balsam tree up on a ridge to be the Christmas for the village when it is the girl's turn to play the angel. Papa has to go to war before the tree can be cut. As Christmas draws nearer, that village in the Appalachian mountains wonders where they will get a tree for Christmas Eve. Will the father come back home in time? How will Mama make the little girl's angel costume without money to purchase fabric? In a time of need, a family finds a way and the story is passed down through the generations after. With illustrations by Barbara Cooney (Caldecott winner for "The Ox-Cart Man" and "Chanticleer the Fox"), this heartwarming tale will illuminate your Christmas experience. *Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*
As the Great War ramps up across the sea, a little girl and her Papa select a perfect balsam tree up on a ridge to be the Christmas for the village when it is the girl's turn to play the angel. Papa has to go to war before the tree can be cut. As Christmas draws nearer, that village in the Appalachian mountains wonders where they will get a tree for Christmas Eve. Will the father come back home in time? How will Mama make the little girl's angel costume without money to purchase fabric? In a time of need, a family finds a way and the story is passed down through the generations after. With illustrations by Barbara Cooney (Caldecott winner for "The Ox-Cart Man" and "Chanticleer the Fox"), this heartwarming tale will illuminate your Christmas experience. *Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*
July 7, 2020
The first time I read this book, I almost cried. The second time I read this book, aloud to my niece and nephews, I almost cried. I still get a bit choked up reading this tender story even if it is written for children. There is something just so special and sweet about the little girl waiting for her father to come home from war (WWI) and helping her mother cut down the perfect Christmas tree for church. And of course the pictures by Barbara Cooney are just wonderful! If you don’t have a copy of this book, you need to get one.
January 18, 2019
This is a sweet story with beautiful illustrations. I cried the first time I read it and my boys have begged me not to cry again during subsequent readings. I love the message and the joyful ending. A great Christmas story!
Update: 2019. This is my go to Christmas story that I read to my boys every year. It's about all the most important things; family, love, sacrifice. I still almost cry every time I read it.
Update: 2019. This is my go to Christmas story that I read to my boys every year. It's about all the most important things; family, love, sacrifice. I still almost cry every time I read it.
December 21, 2016
This was a beautiful story with lovely illustrations and that perfect message of what truly matters at Christmas. I was especially touched by the mother's sacrifices throughout the story, she inspired me to be a better mother and woman.
December 16, 2016
A sweet Christmas story. Wonderful illustrations and a happy ending.
December 17, 2020
The story is lovely but a bit sad. It’s also really long. Little Ruthie and her dad pick the perfect tree in the spring and then dad goes to war. Things are tight. Ruthie can not have new clothes, or a new doll. But the family is going to make sure the church is going to get it’s Christmas tree.
#Wintergames #teamreadnosereindeer +26
#Wintergames #teamreadnosereindeer +26
December 5, 2019
Lovely! After reading this as a family, we listened to the Appalachian Christmas Carol, Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head.
December 8, 2021
A tender story of a girl finding the perfect tree and the love and surprise of a mother. Beautiful pictures.
December 26, 2024
This book was such a sweet little story. Definitely adding it to the yearly Christmas reads.
January 9, 2018
This true story is a lovely Christmas story set in Appalachia at the end of WWI.
April 16, 2010
Although this book was published in 1988, I didn't discover it until 1995, when my youngest was 3 years old. We first read it from the Mercer Public Library, but we checked it out so many times, I finally had a local bookstore order it for us. The library was kind enough to laminate the dust jacket for us.
Ruthie has been waiting patiently for her father to return from the war. As Christmas approaches, Ruthie's mother begins to worry about the Christmas tree tradition in their small Appalachian town of Pine Grove. The Pine Grove Church chooses one family each year to supply the Christmas tree. Ruthie and her father were so excited, because their family had been chosen to provide this year's tree.
During the spring before Papa left for the war, he and Ruthie climbed to the top of the rocky ridge to pick out the perfect tree. To mark this tree from all the rest, Papa takes one of Ruthie's hair ribbons and ties it to the top of the tree. Ruthie is so happy, because as the provider for the traditional tree, she will also get to portray the "heavenly angel" in the Christmas pagent.
When Mama realizes her husband may not make it home for Christmas, she and Ruthie set out in the wee morning hours of Christmas Eve in search of the marked tree. The trip is long and hard, but Ruthie and her Mama stick together and after many hours of hard work, they are able to deliver the tree to the church.
Back at home, Mama settles Ruthie in for a long winter's nap. Exhausted herself, Mama can't sleep because she is determined to make Ruthie's wishes come true. Because her husband had not returned, there was no money to buy Ruthie a new dress for the Christmas pagent or to buy her the doll she asked for from Santa. But Mama has a plan.
All day as Ruthie slept, Mama was at work on a new dress. Taking her beloved wedding dress, Mama cuts it down to make Ruthie an angel costume. Then she takes her last pair of stockings and fashions an angel doll, using the rest of the wedding dress to cloth the angel just like Ruthie.
When Ruthie awakens on Christmas Eve night, she is overjoyed with her angel costume. When they arrive at the church, Mama and Ruthie are so proud of the beautiful Christmas tree. After the Christmas service and pagent, Santa arrives to hand out presents to the children. Santa hands Ruthie the beautiful angel from the top of the tree (Ruthie had no idea her mother made the angel).
But the best present was yet to come. Leaving the church happy and joyful from the pagent and the present, Ruthie sees her father waiting outside the church door.
No matter how many times I read this book - and I still read it yearly, even though my children are grown - I still cry. This book has such a good morale and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is the perfect Christmas story.
Ruthie has been waiting patiently for her father to return from the war. As Christmas approaches, Ruthie's mother begins to worry about the Christmas tree tradition in their small Appalachian town of Pine Grove. The Pine Grove Church chooses one family each year to supply the Christmas tree. Ruthie and her father were so excited, because their family had been chosen to provide this year's tree.
During the spring before Papa left for the war, he and Ruthie climbed to the top of the rocky ridge to pick out the perfect tree. To mark this tree from all the rest, Papa takes one of Ruthie's hair ribbons and ties it to the top of the tree. Ruthie is so happy, because as the provider for the traditional tree, she will also get to portray the "heavenly angel" in the Christmas pagent.
When Mama realizes her husband may not make it home for Christmas, she and Ruthie set out in the wee morning hours of Christmas Eve in search of the marked tree. The trip is long and hard, but Ruthie and her Mama stick together and after many hours of hard work, they are able to deliver the tree to the church.
Back at home, Mama settles Ruthie in for a long winter's nap. Exhausted herself, Mama can't sleep because she is determined to make Ruthie's wishes come true. Because her husband had not returned, there was no money to buy Ruthie a new dress for the Christmas pagent or to buy her the doll she asked for from Santa. But Mama has a plan.
All day as Ruthie slept, Mama was at work on a new dress. Taking her beloved wedding dress, Mama cuts it down to make Ruthie an angel costume. Then she takes her last pair of stockings and fashions an angel doll, using the rest of the wedding dress to cloth the angel just like Ruthie.
When Ruthie awakens on Christmas Eve night, she is overjoyed with her angel costume. When they arrive at the church, Mama and Ruthie are so proud of the beautiful Christmas tree. After the Christmas service and pagent, Santa arrives to hand out presents to the children. Santa hands Ruthie the beautiful angel from the top of the tree (Ruthie had no idea her mother made the angel).
But the best present was yet to come. Leaving the church happy and joyful from the pagent and the present, Ruthie sees her father waiting outside the church door.
No matter how many times I read this book - and I still read it yearly, even though my children are grown - I still cry. This book has such a good morale and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is the perfect Christmas story.
December 31, 2015
Last year I checked out a stack of children's books from the library before Christmas simply because I love children's picture books. I decided this year that would be a good tradition to adopt as a way of preparing for the season, the season when childlike wonder seems like such a luminous and precious thing.
This year I found some really wonderful books and this was one of my favorites. It's a homey, touching tale of a young Appalachian girl whose poor family is responsible for providing the annual Christmas tree for the village church. Young Ruthie and her mother go in the silence of a winter night to cut down the perfect balsam tree she and her father had picked out before he left for war. This is also the year Ruthie has the honor to play the angel in the Christmas Eve play but she has no dress fitting for the occasion so Ruthie's mother stays up the through the wee hours of the morning sewing a beautiful angel dress out of her own wedding dress, and making a small angel doll to match with the scraps and the silk stockings Ruthie's father sent as a Christmas gift.
Each night throughout the year as she was tucked her into bed Ruthie had offered this prayer: "Please send my papa home for Christmas. And please have old St. Nicholas bring me a doll with a beautiful dress, the color of cream, all trimmed with ribbons and lace." Their Christmas Eve culminates in all the elements of Ruthie's year long prayer being fulfilled.
This is a lovely story with beautiful illustrations and a lyrical quality to the writing--very touching and appealing.
This year I found some really wonderful books and this was one of my favorites. It's a homey, touching tale of a young Appalachian girl whose poor family is responsible for providing the annual Christmas tree for the village church. Young Ruthie and her mother go in the silence of a winter night to cut down the perfect balsam tree she and her father had picked out before he left for war. This is also the year Ruthie has the honor to play the angel in the Christmas Eve play but she has no dress fitting for the occasion so Ruthie's mother stays up the through the wee hours of the morning sewing a beautiful angel dress out of her own wedding dress, and making a small angel doll to match with the scraps and the silk stockings Ruthie's father sent as a Christmas gift.
Each night throughout the year as she was tucked her into bed Ruthie had offered this prayer: "Please send my papa home for Christmas. And please have old St. Nicholas bring me a doll with a beautiful dress, the color of cream, all trimmed with ribbons and lace." Their Christmas Eve culminates in all the elements of Ruthie's year long prayer being fulfilled.
This is a lovely story with beautiful illustrations and a lyrical quality to the writing--very touching and appealing.
December 24, 2010
This is a heartwrenching tale of a remote village in the Appalachians, during a particularly tough time. The war was raging, taking the father away, there was no money for presents or costumes for the Christmas play, and then there was the problem of delivering the perfect Christmas tree... It's a somber tale, but one of sacrifice, hope, determination and love. And it made me tear up just a little as I read it. Such a nice story, complete with gorgeous illustrations by Barbara Cooney.
December 6, 2021
Hmm. Some charm, some issues, an ok Christmas story....
But: the tree they chose was a special one, all alone, reaching bravely to heaven... it should not have been cut down! But then, there are a lot of Christian teachings that are about populating the earth and holding dominion over nature, etc., so I guess this lack of respect for nature shouldn't surprise me.
Well, Cooney's art gets a star all its own, as always. So I am glad I had a chance to see the book.
But: the tree they chose was a special one, all alone, reaching bravely to heaven... it should not have been cut down! But then, there are a lot of Christian teachings that are about populating the earth and holding dominion over nature, etc., so I guess this lack of respect for nature shouldn't surprise me.
Well, Cooney's art gets a star all its own, as always. So I am glad I had a chance to see the book.
September 21, 2012
Ms. Houston, formerly the Author in Residence at University of South Florida, presented me with this book for my daughter Amanda Lee, some years ago, along with a lovely personalized inscription. It is a treasure and a keepsake to be re-read often.
November 17, 2018
"The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story" by Gloria Houston and Illustrated by Barbara Cooney is just that, a wonderful, heartwarming story. Perfect for all children, and adults who still believe in the magic of the season, like myself. Wonderfully illustrated by Ms. Cooney.
December 1, 2021
Great story, great illustrations.
I wish someone had caught the spelling error - it's a tow sack, not a toe sack. A regional term for a burlap sack made from the short waste fiber from flax known as tow.
I wish someone had caught the spelling error - it's a tow sack, not a toe sack. A regional term for a burlap sack made from the short waste fiber from flax known as tow.
December 4, 2019
Such a nice story and the folk art illustrations are perfect for it.
December 24, 2022
This is such a sweet Christmas story. It combines one of my favorite illustrators, Barbara Cooney and one of my favorite places, Grandfather Mountain, NC. I love reading it every year.
February 7, 2023
A beautiful story! Loved this story showcasing Appalachia in the early 20th century. There’s a lot of heart in this book, and it really shows.
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