Publishers Weekly
09/13/2021
A little boy who loves big things discovers that appreciating the small is the key to holiday joy in this simple yet comforting picture book debut by CNN news anchor Harlow. For Luca, a light brown–skinned child with round red glasses, bigger is always better: trucks, toys, bowls of pasta, and especially trees. Luca’s focus on finding the enormous Christmas tree of his dreams drives the family’s search, as they take in seasonal sights while snow gently flurries and more lights begin to twinkle in Kaulitzki’s warm, atmospheric spreads of their busy city neighborhood. Luca’s parents—his mother appears to be Black, and his father appears white—wisely counsel, “We’ll know our tree when we see it.” As Luca finally discovers the unexpectedly perfect pine just days before the holiday, small readers will find reassurance in the adage that size doesn’t matter. Ages 3–7. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
An engaging story that small children will relate to. Delightful and resonant.” –Kirkus reviews
“A little boy who loves big things discovers that appreciating the small is the key to holiday joy . . . small readers will find reassurance in the adage that size doesn’t matter.” –Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
10/08/2021
PreS-Gr 3—Luca, a little boy with brown skin, curly hair. and red glasses, lives in New York City and thinks bigger is always better. He likes everything big—trucks, toys, buildings, and trees. He loves to climb the tallest tree in the park. So when it's Christmas time, Luca wants the largest tree to call his own, but none seem quite tall enough. When he stumbles over a tree just his size, Luca has a sudden change of heart and decides that special comes in every size. In this quick-paced picture book with sparse text, the resolution feels a bit forced. The illustrations provide a charming look at Christmas in New York City. VERDICT Journalist Harlow's debut picture book seeks to create a cheery story of self-acceptance, but it falls flat. Most libraries will find that this book does not enhance their collections.—Monisha Blair, Glasgow M.S., Alexandria, VA
Kirkus Reviews
2021-08-18
Luca loves big things, but he learns that sometimes small things are just right.
Luca lives in a big city, and he loves big things, from big trucks and big buildings to big dogs. But he especially loves big trees. Luca has always tried to climb the biggest tree in Triangle Park, because climbing a big tree makes him feel big. He finds it tough being small in the big, busy city, surrounded by big people who are always looking up. As Christmas approaches, Luca decides he wants to get the biggest Christmas tree in the whole city. But the trees at the Christmas tree market aren’t big enough for Luca. One day, while walking through the market with his mom, looking up at the not-big-enough trees, Luca trips over something. It’s a small tree, about his size. He smiles at the tree. The tree seems to smile back. Luca knows that this tree is special, and when he brings it home and decorates it, Luca feels big. The story ends with an explicit statement of a heartfelt sentiment that could have been left simply to be felt through the story itself, but until that point, the pacing and the character’s yearning are just right, delivering an engaging story that small children will relate to. The sweet, pleasantly varied illustrations depict Luca as a brown boy with curly hair and freckles; his mom appears Black, and his dad presents as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Delightful and resonant. (Picture book. 3-7)
