The Last Christmas Tree

by Deborah Hoffman

Overview

How could anyone know that a simple tree farm would be the home of a miraculous event? Only one person knew: Mr. B... With a plan rooted deeply in his heart and mind, he plants a scrawny little tree amid all the other trees (the residents of Mr. B’s Famous Tree Farm). The trees and the birds all wonder who this “stranger” is — the one who is so unlike them. The traditional trees nickname him Twig. This little tree, with almost zero chance of survival, is encouraged by messages carried in the wind and sometimes repeated by the birds. The soft words and caresses of the gentle tree farmer always bring strength to Twig. One day, Mr. B shares two secrets with Twig. The wind overheard the first secret and carried it throughout the entire tree farm. Only Twig heard the second secret. Twig makes the decision to stand tall and honor the second secret. This simple decision eventually brings Mr. B’s plan into full view for the whole world to see. Twig becomes a revelation of the impossible and belief in things not seen, but hoped for! A TRUE MIRACLE!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645433811
Publisher:	Mascot Books
Publication date:	07/07/2020
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Deborah grew up on a ranch and a farm in the Wildcat Range in the Western Panhandle of Nebraska, where the great flat plains drop to deep canyons and rise in hardpan bluffs covered with Juniper and Pine trees. She is the mother of five and has one other daughter, lovingly referred to as the acquired daughter. Better by over a dozen, Debby and her husband have numerous grandchildren and three greats. Her love of learning and people has given her a great collection of experiences and interesting, unexpected friendships.

Years of doing homework with kids (her own children and others), and her job as a technical writer for inventors, patents, financials, and business plans quelled any desire to write creatively. However, her family’s move to a quiet, tiny community in the South gave oxygen to the spark and she began to write poems and stories.

Living in a 118-year-old house that her husband chose to rescue, Debby was brought back to the quiet times she knew as a child.

Debby learned to read at age four. Reader’s Digest and National Geographic became mainstays — no television until much later. She read books constantly throughout her life and now feels that it is her season to write.
Debby writes effortlessly, and the stories are like gifts being dropped into her thoughts. These thoughts then flow out through her pen onto the page. Only occasionally does she change a line or reword a sentence. The words seem to come out intact. She says that typing interrupts the rhythm, so every word is written by hand.

She hopes that by sharing her inspired thoughts, gifts of eternal good and encouragement will be left in the hearts and minds of everyone who reads her poems, stories, and books.

Editorial Reviews

2020-04-29
A young, struggling tree learns his worth in this debut picture book.

A little tree named Twig is planted at a Southern farm. But he experiences anxiety because he’s different from other trees: “It’s a horrible thing not to feel good about yourself, and Twig definitely did not feel good about himself.” He’s small; he’s a different color; and even as he grows, no buyers ever purchase him to be their Christmas tree. But Mr. B, the farm’s owner, lavishes attention on Twig, telling the tree he saves the best for last. As Mr. B gets ready to go home to the One, the name the trees use for the creator who is celebrated at Christmas, he finally explains why Twig, now grown large, is special. He’s a blue spruce, and he’s not supposed to flourish in such a warm climate. But Mr. B told a friend the One could “make anything grow anywhere,” and Twig was his proof. After Mr. B’s death, the friend, now a believer, creates a park around Twig. Mr. B’s faith and the love he shows for his friend, through Twig, are sure to inspire Christian readers. Hoffman’s choice to narrate from the perspectives of the trees gives children an easy way to grasp the complex issue of religious belief. The lovely illustrations, featuring mostly pale-skinned humans along with a variety of trees and woodland creatures, by watercolor artist Sauber are worth framing.

An accessible religious fable accompanied by beautiful images of the natural world.

Kirkus Reviews