School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-A young man and his wife move to Colorado in the spring of 1886 and build a home in a remote area half a day's wagon ride from the nearest town. Severe blizzards in November and December force them to chop down some sheltering spruce trees to heat their frigid cabin. The two discover a pair of geese taking shelter under the lone remaining spruce and they agonize over whether to cut it down. Despite their troubles, the woman gives birth to a healthy baby boy, and the family manages to survive until the next big winter storm arrives. After a night of "hoping and praying for a miracle," they awaken on Christmas morning to find a change in the weather. Although the text reads smoothly, the couple's dire circumstances are repeatedly emphasized to the point that they bog down the narrative. Locker's characteristically beautiful oil landscapes and, in the nature scenes, breathtaking use of color draw readers' attention. Strand ties up his tale with a holiday tradition that commemorates that fateful winter, which may spark children to inquire about their own family customs. For read-aloud programs, this title could be paired with Gloria Houston's The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree (Dial, 1988) for a historical approach to Christmas.-M.M.H. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With the hushed, assured tone of a seasoned fireside storyteller, debut author Strand frames a stirring tale within a tale to explain a family's cherished holiday tradition. A grandfather flashes back to 1886 to describe how his own parents, then young and settling new territory in Colorado, prepare for the imminent arrival of their first child as blizzards howl. In a desperate moment, the couple refrain from cutting the spruce that could heat their home, in favor of letting a wild goose family use the tree's shelter. The act of kindness is commemorated in a homemade wood carving of the geese that the grandfather's descendants still place on the branches of the spruce each Christmas. Strand emphasizes strength, not sentiment, while Locker's darkish oils, characteristically sweeping nature studies, evoke a fresh, wild and awe-inspiring time and place. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved