Tonight is the night for the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and those who love the beauty of that event will tune in to the television coverage of the breathtaking and celebrated scene. It seems the perfect day to share Matt Tavares' new book.
"Now every year, the head gardener at Rockefeller Center searches far and wide for the perfect Christmas tree. The chosen tree is almost always a Norway spruce, a type of tree that is not native to the United States. So it's usually found not in a forest but in someone's yard, where it was planted decades ago."
In his book, he introduces readers to a pair of happy cardinals who make their home in the branches of the tree chosen to be that perfect tree. The birds love their home, spending the Christmas season listening to carolers sing about it - even occasionally joining them in song. It is a shock when it is cut down and taken away. Red is distraught at Lulu's departure and does his best to follow the truck and the tree to its destination. He just can't keep up. Still, he searches through the city, always on the lookout for his mate.
Matt Tavares' rich watercolor and gouache images follow Red's search. The spreads are filled with the iconic New York City landscape, often from a bird's eye view. Wordless spreads are stunning, and provide all the story needed at different points. The brilliance of the colors chosen and the cheerful reunion will warm hearts, and certainly make this a book worthy of sharing as December closes in, and the holiday season bursts with annual splendor.
I love both front and back stories - they are a perfect pair of bookends to the drama of the tree's removal, its new home and the birds' happy reunion. The panoramic views and changing perspectives warrant a close look and engaged attention. There is a lot to see here. You will want to read it more than one time.
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