The Christmas Giant

Gr 1—4—Humphrey (a giant) and Leetree (an elf) create Christmas wrapping paper for the North Pole toy makers. It's a job they love, but once the work is done for the year they are sad. Santa, noticing their dismay, gives them a special assignment-to grow the holiday tree for Christmastown. This job has its hazards—as the friends are delivering the tree, it floats away on an iceberg—but all ends satisfactorily. The pen, ink, and pastel artwork is truly lovely. Muted colors and swirly lines evoke old-fashioned folk art while retaining a fresh cartoon whimsy. A number of pages feature panels of wordless illustrations that convey the passage of time without being too busy. The story itself is sweet and economically told, capturing not only the spirit of Christmas, but also of friendship, persistence, and resourcefulness.—Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library