The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel - ADVISABLE

Rubel, David The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree, illustrated by Jim LaMarche.  Andom House, 2011.  $18.  PICTURE BOOK.  Henry and his father are headed to New York in order to make a little bit of money selling Christmas trees from their woods to the City folk.  They give the last of their trees to the workmen building the new Rockefeller Center, who in turn do Henry’s family a great service.  from the pinecone that Henry plants that day, comes a huge tree that many decades later becomes a tree for New York’s famous celebration. While the story itself is not true, it is a beautiful idea – and since 2007, the old tree from each year is milled into lumber that is given to Habitat for Humanity.  It is a wonderful Christmas story to read and presents a great opportunity to talk about the Great Depression and about Habitat for Humanity.  EL – ADVISABLE.   Cindy, Library Teacher