Review by Booklist Review
This slim little story, about a giant named Humphrey and a tiny elf named Leetree, supplies very little text but nevertheless enchants by using comic-type panels and a folk-art sensibility to draw in readers. This year, Santa has given the disproportionate pair the task of growing a holiday tree for Santa's festivities. Children will delight in the details of the giant and elf's endeavors a bicycle with inked tires makes festive stripes on paper sheets; Leetree's smiling face directs the tender, swirly bearded Humphrey in important aspects of tree care, such as trimming branches. Alas, just as the two are bringing the tree to Santa, disaster strikes. Now they need to come up with a substitute tree, and their imaginative effort using bits of their paperwork to create a tree is delightful, making for a happy ending to a charming holiday story. Light's palette blends warm, muted tones perfectly suited to the quiet mood of the tale. A good read for a cozy December night.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Packed with delightful and humorous touches, Light's holiday story introduces Humphrey, a giant, and Leetree, a tiny elf, who are responsible for making Santa's wrapping paper (Leetree rides a tricycle across one roll to give it purple stripes). When Santa asks them to grow a special Christmas tree, they show off their respective talents (moving big rocks, pulling tiny weeds) and their ingenuity when the tree meets with an accident. Besides being a refreshingly original addition to the Christmas canon, Light's story demonstrates that, big or small, everyone has gifts to offer-any time of year. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Humphrey (a giant) and Leetree (an elf) create Christmas wrapping paper for the North Pole toy makers. It's a job they love, but once the work is done for the year they are sad. Santa, noticing their dismay, gives them a special assignment-to grow the holiday tree for Christmastown. This job has its hazards-as the friends are delivering the tree, it floats away on an iceberg-but all ends satisfactorily. The pen, ink, and pastel artwork is truly lovely. Muted colors and swirly lines evoke old-fashioned folk art while retaining a fresh cartoon whimsy. A number of pages feature panels of wordless illustrations that convey the passage of time without being too busy. The story itself is sweet and economically told, capturing not only the spirit of Christmas, but also of friendship, persistence, and resourcefulness.-Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Humphrey, a friendly giant, and Leetree, a tiny elf, are assigned to grow the holiday tree for Christmastown. Their relative sizes are complementary -- Leetree plants the little seed, while Humphrey holds the large watering can; Leetree trims the low branches, and Humphrey the high. After a mishap results in the loss of their perfectly grown tree, Humphrey and Leetree use their respective skills to create an even more beautiful tree out of wrapping paper and ribbon. Light's colorful illustrations in pen and ink and pastels do most of the storytelling with expressive characters and several wordless pages of panel drawings that reveal outcomes step-by-step. The value of collaboration and teamwork is clearly demonstrated as the dynamic between the two characters is rewardingly reciprocal. katrina hedeen (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An extra-tall format suits this whimsical story about a giant and a tiny elf who are special helpers for Santa at his North Pole workshop. The giant is named Humphrey, his elf pal is called Leetree and together they create the printed wrapping paper for Santa's presents. They also work throughout the year to grow a magically tall Christmas tree for the North Pole community, but when the tree is lost, the giant-and-elf pair solves the problem by creating a new kind of Christmas tree with branches made from curls of wrapping paper in a variety of green prints. The charming illustrations in pen and ink with pastels use exaggerated proportions to show the size of the giant and clever use of multiple panels to show the various creative processes. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
