The Christmas Pine Award-winning author by Julia Donaldson (author) and Victoria Sandøy (illustrator)

A magical picture book for Christmas, written in perfect, heartfelt rhyme by Julia Donaldson, bestselling creator of Zog and Superworm.“Magical . . . as well as paying tribute to tradition, the gentle rhythmic verse and stunning pictures illuminate the two other things close to Julia’s heart: the power of children and song”Good Housekeeping Deep in a snowy wood stands a little pine tree with a special destiny: when it grows up, it’s going to be the famousChristmas tree in Trafalgar Square! This is the perfect picture book to snuggle up with and share at Christmas. Gorgeous, atmospheric illustrations whisk you from frozen forests to the sparkling city square in a beautiful, moving story of festivity and hope.

Julia Donaldson’s perfect rhyme is a joy to read aloud. This is a classic to treasure for generations
Victoria Sandøy’s exquisite, atmospheric illustrations are full of gorgeous details to point out and share
A paragraph on the final page of the book explains the true story behind the tree The Christmas Pine is based on a true story. It celebrates a special tradition that stretches back over seventy years. Every year, the Mayor of Oslo in Norway presents the British people with a spectacular Christmas tree. The tree is a symbol of peace and friendship, and a thank you for the UK’s support during World War II. Each year, the UK Poetry Society asks a poet to write a poem to welcome the tree. Julia Donaldson originally wrote The Christmas Pine to celebrate the 2020 Christmas tree. The poem was performed by London schoolchildren, and displayed in Trafalgar Square. Julia Donaldson is the author of many of the best-loved children’s books ever written. She has been awarded a CBE for services to literature, and is the most celebrated children’s writer in Britain today.Many of Julia Donaldson’s beloved picture books have been made into award-winning animated films which are regularly shown on the BBC at Christmas.Superworm animation will premiere on BBC Christmas 2021

Our December 2022 Ages 5-6 Book of the Month

Our Book of the Month for Age 5+ is The Christmas Pine, from award-winning author Julia Donaldson – creator of beloved stories such as The Gruffalo, Superworm, and Zog. Deep in a snowy wood stands a little pine tree with a special destiny: when it grows up, it’s going to be the famous Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square! This book includes a paragraph explaining the true story behind the tree that The Christmas Pine is based on, celebrating a special tradition that stretches back over 70 years. The tree, gifted from Norway, is a symbol of peace and friendship and this book encapsulates this perfectly.

This is a magical picture book with a gorgeous gold-foiled dust jacket, making it a perfect gift for a child at Christmas time. With gentle rhythmic verse and stunning illustration, this title is both engaging for young children while also being perfect to cuddle up with on a cosy Christmas evening. Rhyming text is perfect for developing reading skills, and children will be keen to revisit this story on the run up to Christmas.

Tasha - Book Club Editor, 0-6

Product Details

Catalogue number

254 in Setanta SCB September 2025

Format

Paperback

ISBN

9780702318009

Publisher

Alison Green Books

Date published

October 27th, 2022

Other details

32 pages

Condition

New

Author/Illustrator

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson is author of many of today’s best-loved picture books including The Gruffalo and Stick Man. Best known for her collaborations with Axel Scheffler, each of these vivid rhyming stories is a triumph of imagination. She was also the Children’s Laureate 2011-2013.

More about Julia: “I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).

Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us.

I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.

Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.

The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television.

One of my television songs, A Squash and a Squeeze, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published.

My real breakthrough was The Gruffalo, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately – he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow – but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.

My novel The Giants and the Joneses is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic Princess Mirror-Belle who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old.

When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs.”