School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Early one morning, a girl wakes up at dawn to travel with her dad and mom up the Hudson River in a tugboat. Their mission? To bring the barge bearing the giant Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree down the river to New York City. The somewhat lengthy text is full of information about the two-day journey, told from the girl's point of view ("The fastest we'll go.is about nine knots. That's like driving your car eleven miles an hour. Pretty slow!"). Ransome's full-page and full-spread acrylic paintings, highlighting big, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets above the Hudson River, are ravishing. More about tugboats than Christmas, but an attractive addition to the holiday shelf.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A girl wakes on a November morning at dawn to accompany her mother and father-a New York Harbor tugboat captain-on a special excursion: to pick up a tow ship carrying the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and deliver it to New York City. Ransome's smudgy acrylic scenes transition smoothly from panoramic views of the tug crossing in front of the Manhattan skyline to intimate moments, such as an image of the girl riding with her father in the inviting pilot house. Readers will be captivated by the vivid details of the journey (based on the authors' experiences with their daughter), which help form a radiant Christmas story. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.