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Pleasant illustrations and a unique story about a family that celebrates Christmas by taking a nighttime picnic into the woods and decorating a tree with edible decorations for the wildlife. ( )

The Night Tree is a holiday picture book that allows the opportunity for a family to come together once a year to give back to something. The family goes into the woods and picks a tree for animals to eat decorated holiday food. The message of the book is to show giving back to others is important and you can do that while creating traditions that can last a life time. The author would compare the tree to the son showing as it grows each year it is still so important to the family. Even though the book is fiction, it is something that many people can relate to because of the feelings it brings on. Children from the ages kindergarten to third grade can benefit from the book since it can teach children the meaning of giving back. This can be adapted in the classroom during the holidays and can bring out ideas children can do to give back. This book was an enjoyable book to read while looking at the creative images. ( )

This book can be read to students during the winter time to show students the different traditions families have. ( )

I really enjoyed reading Night Tree as it’s an easy read for elementary-aged children, but the underlying theme may be difficult for younger readers to fully comprehend. Eve Bunting portrays a common event within American households, which is the celebration of Christmas. It began by illustrating a family of four in their car driving to get their tree late on Christmas eve, eventually arriving to their destination of Luke’s Forest. There, the boy describes all of the trees around him along with the path they took with his parents and little sister. This is done in a way where the language used is very clear and descriptive for readers of all ages. The illustrations are beautiful, with a picture of a starry night with trees all around that definitely enhanced the idea that it was a treasured tradition in their household. While walking the path, his father discovers a deer ahead, shining his flashlight on it and then it scurries away. Eventually, his father shines his flashlight on the tree they decorate every year and the boy notes that it has grown since the previous year. His mother replies to him, “So have you”, and they begin to decorate. This is a key component of the story as it goes beyond the theme of family and his experiences while being surrounded by the wilderness. His younger sister Nina comments “So have I” before they began to decorate. From the surface, it may seem like a small comment that progresses the story but though further analysis, the reader can interpret these comments through the mother’s eyes. She sees that both of her children are slowly growing out of their youth and are growing up into adolescence as they get taller and age. On the following page, there is an owl illustration that showed an owl peering down on the family as they discovered their tree. The narrator makes the comment “There are secrets all around us”, not only implying the unknown of the animals and tree around them but also the unknown of the boy’s future as he grows older. This perspective really pushes readers to think beyond what is written and to consider the feelings of other characters in order to see the big idea of the story. Children believe that family traditions will always occur each year, unable to see the “secret” which is the possibility of them growing out of it. Although there are several different themes present, I believe a more appropriate main theme for this book would be coming-of-age due to these interpretations.
As they finish up decorating, they place a blanket in front of it to sit and admire their work. The boy and Nina sing Christmas songs around the tree before leaving and Nina is carried back sleeping. The language present within the book’s dialogue was done in a way that is super easy for younger readers to follow along with, along with appropriate illustrations that corresponded with the text. For instance, at the end of the book the boy lying in bed, thinking about all of the animals celebrating Christmas and singing around the tree that his family decorated along with an illustration on the following page showing that. This perspective is appropriate for growing a child’s imagination and is interesting for younger readers since almost every child is excited for the holidays and can share that excitement. Since the story is narrated through the boy’s perspective, younger children are not only exposed to a different style of writing, but can also place themselves in the boy’s shoes and relate to him with similar feelings and experiences.
Throughout the entire book, the boy and his family are all together for a holiday tradition, a heartwarming yet unforgettable experience that many families go through. The central message of the book revolves around the themes of family and coming-of-age, with underlying topics of nature, tradition, and the holiday season (as seen through the illustrations). Although there was no moral or lesson to be learned from this book, not all books need to have them to portray a meaningful story. Night Tree is unique as it has the potential to become a lesson, allowing younger readers the opportunity to see beyond the words and illustrations to come up with their own underlying meaning of a character’s words and actions. ( )