Gina Rae Mitchell

Holly Holiday and the Christmas Forest is a delightful story with many subtle lessons included.

Holly loves Christmas with all her heart. Most of all, she loves decorating the Christmas tree. When she realizes they have to throw out the tree on the day after Christmas, she is devastated. So using ingenuity and perseverance she devises a plan for the family to implement the next year.

They buy a live potted tree for their holiday season, then afterwards, they plant it in their meadow. We get to follow along with the joy the family receives by planting their very own Christmas forest.

The author also includes a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe and the illustrator shows us the best way to plant the tree after the holiday season.

The words are written to be easily read by young readers. The illustrations are vibrant and tell a story of their own. I enjoyed seeing Holly grow through the years.

It’s never too early to begin introducing ecology and conservation to children. The story opens the path to many areas of discussion between adults and children.

Holly and the joy she finds in life and especially Christmas will delight many families for years.

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Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of the book. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.