Summary
When President Theodore Roosevelt announces that there will be no White House Christmas tree because cutting down trees is against his conservation efforts, his youngest sons, Quentin and Archie, are deeply disappointed. They can't imagine Christmas without a tree. The two determined boys enlist the help of their aunt and sneak a small tree into their bedroom. When the president finds out, he takes the boys to see the chief forester in hopes of teaching them a lesson. But the chief forester says cutting down smaller trees will help the taller ones grow. "Isn't that bully!" says the president, and the boys shout, "Hooray for the tree!" Gary Hines and Alexandra Wallner bring this story, based on actual events, to life in a light-hearted text matched with bright, cheerful art. Young readers will enjoy this humorous episode in history and relish the children's "victory" over their father. At the end of the book, there is a photograph of the Roosevelt family and an author's note on Roosevelt, his children, and the real Christmas tree.
Gary Hines is the author of several books for children. He lives with his wife, author-illustrator Anna Grossnickle Hines, in Milford, Pennsylvania. Alexandra Wallner has illustrated several books about literary and historic figures. A graduate of the Pratt Institute in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia with her husband, illustrator John Wallner.
