For cardinals Red and Lulu, home is an enormous evergreen that stands in front of a little house. Every winter, the multiracial family of four that lives in the little house strings lights in the tree and sings a song about its magnificence, and Red and Lulu are happy. One fall, Red returns home with food and is stunned to find their tree has been cut down and strapped to the back of a truck, with Lulu still chirping within its branches. Although he tries to follow the truck (and Lulu), it soon outpaces him, and Red arrives in a large, strange city alone and lost—until he hears voices singing a familiar song about a certain tree. He follows the sound to find his and Lulu’s tree on display for all to admire in Rockefeller Center, with Lulu waiting on their favorite branch. Gorgeous, full-page illustrations present the beauty that is New York City in wintertime, and a fascinating note at the end details the history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. (Ages 5-8)

Separation and miles cannot keep a determined cardinal from his loved one in an ode to serendipity and belief that is destined to be a Christmas classic.

Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. It shades them in the hot months and keeps them cozy in the cold months, and once a year the people who live nearby string lights on their tree and sing a special song: O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree. But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . . From Matt Tavares comes a heart-tugging story combining the cheer of Christmas, the magic of New York City, and the real meaning of the holiday season: how important it is to be surrounded by love.