{"product_id":"the-great-spruce-isbn-9780399160844","title":"The Great Spruce","description":"\u003cb\u003eTogether with his grandpa, a young boy finds a way to save his favorite tree in this heartwarming Christmas tale\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlec loves to climb trees—the little apple trees, the wide willow trees, even the tall locust trees. But his favorite is the great spruce, with its sturdy trunk and branches that stretch up to the sky. Alec’s grandpa planted it as a sapling years and years before Alec was born, and every Christmas, Alec and his grandpa decorate the tree together, weaving tinsel and lights through its branches, making it shine bright.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBut one day, a few curious men from the nearby city take notice of Alec’s glistening great spruce, and ask to take it away for their Christmas celebration. Though it’s a huge honor, Alec’s heartbroken at the idea of losing his friend. With great courage and creativity, Alec comes up with a plan to save his favorite tree in this joyful holiday tale.\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Great Spruce\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Why do we chop down Christmas trees, anyway? Duvall is out to persuade readers to try a live tree. . . . Gibbon’s loose art is just right, making the winter world look \u003cb\u003eteeming, twinkling and homey\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eAppealing illustrations\u003c\/b\u003e in acrylic ink and colored pencil… A \u003cb\u003epleasant holiday story\u003c\/b\u003e with a subtle hint to protect living trees instead of cutting them down.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Gibbon’s (\u003ci\u003eThe Bee Who Spoke\u003c\/i\u003e) images of a countryside speckled with cottages and snowy cityscapes recall the work of Ludwig Bemelmans, amplifying the \u003cb\u003esweetly nostalgic\u003c\/b\u003e mood of newcomer Duvall’s story.”—\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An \u003cb\u003eattractive holiday offering\u003c\/b\u003e with an environmental focus.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Gibbon’s \u003cb\u003ecozy acrylic-ink and colored-pencil art\u003c\/b\u003e accentuates the tree’s grandeur in both its\u003cb\u003e idyllic country home and its big-city home-away\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn Duvall\u003c\/b\u003e grew up on Long Island, New York, where he started work as a tree climber--a job that quickly developed into a lifelong passion for trees. In 2009, he wrote an op-ed for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eabout the Christmas tree tradition. John is a tree-care consultant in New York. \u003ci\u003eThe Great Spruce \u003c\/i\u003eis his debut picture book.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRebecca Gibbon\u003c\/b\u003e is the illustrator of several picture books, including \u003ci\u003ePapa Is a Poet, Celebritrees, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eElizabeth Leads the Way\u003c\/i\u003e, which was named an ALA Notable Book. Rebecca lives in England with her husband and their two sons.","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305224163557,"sku":"NP9780399160844","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780399160844.jpg?v=1767739655","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-great-spruce-isbn-9780399160844","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}