THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE

With the enclosed set of punch-out ornaments, children can join a group of woodland animals in decorating a pop-up Christmas tree.

In the syrupy accompanying tale, printed on heavy stock, village children decorate all the trees around but one—so Rabbit feels sorry for it. “You can have my decorations,” he tells it and then recruits his friends to donate their own natural ornaments (the tree also acquires candles, which are not mentioned in the narrative), and Owl snatches a falling star for the top. Then along comes Father Christmas, depicted as a white man in beard and red suit, to pass out gifts with the parochial proclamation that “everyone deserves a magical Christmas.” Attached ribbons allow the covers to be tied back so the climactic pop-up tree will stand on its own, and an interior envelope with a set of lengthy, superfluous instructions contains small sheets of punch-out ornaments and some of the animal figures.

The cover is all that sparkles here.