The lonely Christmas tree by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892923.
Recommended. The lonely Christmas tree is a small picture book, based loosely upon the classic Christmas poem 'Twas the night before Christmas. This book also follows a poetic rhyme, which allows the reader to fall into a nice rhythm quite quickly. Each page of text only has 4-6 short lines and a beautiful illustration on the opposing page.
The story follows a lonely little tree who found its self far away from all the others who had already been cut and decorated.
Suddenly a jolly fellow came and chose the tree for a prime position in the town, and when the bright star was placed on top all the tree's woodland friends returned.
Of course we all know who this jolly fellow is, and although not named in the book it is easy to tell, which brings a special element to the book for those who believe.
I really liked this book, and think it would make a great addition to the Christmas Eve festivities.
The illustrations are simple, yet extremely effective in showcasing a winter theme. Each page has dark tones, movement within the snow, and just the right amount of brightness to light up the town on Christmas Eve.
My favourite page is the last one, where the scene is of St Nicholas (readers might have to explain this name to young listeners), who is lit up by the silver moon, the town is below and most importantly the once lonely tree is taking pride of place looking out over the town and snowy mountains. The silver additions add that extra element that brings some extra Christmas feeling to the page.
Loved this one, the short rhyming story and the beautiful illustrations. 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain