A father and son pull a toboggan carrying the spruce tree they just selected and cut. Trying not to disturb the winter creatures of frozen Long Pond, they also fell an old poplar to create something for deer to eat and start the growth of new shoots by spring. While coming and going, they hear a woodpecker, see deer, notice fox prints and listen to activity within a beaver lodge. Gouache paints were used for the full-color art detailing the winter landscape, its inhabitants and visitors in this lovely picture book, the Georges' fourth about Long Pond. Lindsay Barrett George's superior draftsmanship and personal understanding of her subjects bring to life the wildlife and vegetation on each page, while William T. George writes with an equally sensitive pen. (Ages 4-8)

The woods are alive as a father and son make their way around Long Pond in search of the perfect Christmas tree. "The illustrations are beautiful photoreal paintings that are accurate in their detail....More than just a Christmas book, this is a celebration of the cycle of nature and its interdependent harmony."---School Library Journal.