Be prepared to start a new holiday tradition with THE HALLOWEEN TREE. On the Christmas tree lot, there is one sapling who isn't like the others and doesn't want to wear lights and be decorated for Christmas. As he thinks about those things, his greenery falls off and his branches twist. Soon, he is the last tree left, and a housing development springs up around him. Children from the houses love to play in his branches, making him a pirate ship, a spaceship, a dragon, and more.

The tree starts to realize he does like people- especially the children. When the parents talk about cutting it down, the children protest and decorate the tree for Halloween, starting a new tradition as they cheer "Trick or Tree!"

What I loved: There are some great underlying messages here about accepting others for who they are as well as feeling different and finding your own place (not needing to be like everyone else). The book is filled with lovely, colorful illustrations with some bonus details. For instance, there is a spider that falls in love with the tree (shown by hearts when it approaches first when the tree is a sapling) and then appears somewhere on the tree in every subsequent illustration. The spider has a happy ending cuddling up to one of the rubber spiders the children use to decorate the tree. While it isn't mentioned in the text, this story-within-the-illustrations is a lovely little bonus for children to find.

There is also great diversity in the children and parents depicted that I love to see. With the charismatic (albeit grouchy at first) tree gracing the pages, and the fun story, preschoolers will adore the story of THE HALLOWEEN TREE. This is a great seasonal read with broad appeal that will make you think more about the trees around.

Final verdict: Clever, adorable, and delightful, the story of THE HALLOWEEN TREE has great appeal for young readers, particularly preschool aged readers. Fantastic illustrations with fun details add to the fun of this seasonal to-be classic. Highly recommend for children who love Halloween and/or those who feel a little different.