I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's almost like this book was trying to hard to make a point. I wasn't a fan.

This is a very cute story with a good message to spread. I prefer children’s stories to have good messages and intentions to portray an example for the kids reading it. Big dreams, good upbringing and a Christmas spirit. What more could you want from a Christmas book for your children?

Such a charming book that really won me over from the first page. It might not be a child’s favourite, but it will certainly be a family favourite come autumn and winter time.

I recently read A Perfect Tree to my 5 year old daughter who really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Deedee, who along with her 3 sisters and parents have moved into a smaller house with limited space for them to live in. This teaches them to appreciate everything they have. The perfect tree - a small tree - is an answer to her prayers, when at Christmas her daddy announces they wont be able to get their traditional tree since the house is too small.

A Perfect Tree is based on a true story of DeeDee and her family. They moved into a tiny house (mom, dad, and four children) with barely enough room to live. Tables are put away until it is time to eat, beds are rolled up during the day, but they are happy and spend great times together. It is nearing Christmas and DeeDee's father tells them that they will not be able to get a tree that year. It is one of DeeDee's favourite things to do during the festive season. Dad tells them there just isn't room for a tree unless it is tiny and squashed on the back to fit in the only spot they have. DeeDee is so sad, but she prays that there will be a way to get a tree.

As stated in the blurb, this book will show children how to deal with feelings of disappointment, loss, and anger. It is an early introduction to a child's feelings of betrayal offering a solution with a happy ending. Above all that, this is a faith-building story that emphasizes the power of prayer. It shares the important Christian message—that God hears our prayers, knows our circumstances, and works in a way that is best for us, even though we might not think that at the time. I was not all that impressed with the illustrations. They were okay, cut did not grab my attention. I read this to my grandson before Christmas and he was surprised that six people lived in such a tiny house. He also felt really bad for DeeDee about being teased at school. We talked about being grateful and about prayer, but he was ready to move on. I think if the illustrations were geared more to young children, it might have held his interest more.

A Perfect Tree is a lovely faith build story by Denise Dunham. I must say by the end it brought tears to my eyes to see how God would answer this young girl’s prayers and no doubt her sisters, too. At the end, it states the this is a story of true events in a little girl’s life. Over the years I have heard so many testimonies of similar events as God builds our faith. What a wonderful example of what I think of as “BUT GOD… He is able” experience.

The story is simply told with simple draws that enhances the text without competing with it. The build up to getting the Christmas tree is wonderfully done. Appreciation and positive attitude are strong in DeeDee but hard times can be a challenge which is clearly shown here in this child’s book. Yet there are many unanswered questions that can be used for discussion, such as why did they have to move to that little house? Another is why did the girl whisper anything to DeeDee, let alone what she did whisper? Then there are the questions at the end of the book to also be discussed.

A Perfect Tree is such thought provoking book for the young and the not so young that I now plan to purchase a hardcover copy as a holiday book gift for children I know and love.

A Perfect Tree is a lovely story about a girl called DeeDee who is disappointed with Christmas not going how she'd have liked from the new tiny house they move into to the Christmas tree they can't have as it's too big for the house.

I think this is a really lovely story to show children how important it is to be grateful and appreciative of what you have. I liked that we got to see DeeDee having a hard time at Christmastime as a lot of the time Christmas picture books only focus on the good but it can be the hardest time of the year when expectations from yourself and everyone else are so high and wanting to make the perfect day. I think because of this it made DeeDee a very relatable character but it was also great to see how supportive her family were as it's important for children to see they are still loved and supported by family even if others or situations make you unhappy.

The illustrations are a nice way to see how DeeDee and her family are feeling and it's lovely to see some bright and colourful illustrations to keep the children's interest. I think the most beautiful page has to be the tree and the sentiment behind it, such a lovely way to show that you should still have faith.

A Perfect Tree is a very nice story with a great message for children to learn, a great way to show children that you should always try to be appreciative and make the most of the situation however hard it may be.

As another reviewer mentioned, the Kindle ARC was unreadable when I received it, nothing past the cover. I even tried downloading a second time.

Update: The publisher saw that I had an issue and emailed me the PDF. The art is really nice. The story was framed in a way that made me eye roll a little bit. You can have the family move in to a small house without making it a surprise that it's small when they arrive. Also, it's so small that the parents have to sleep on a pull out sofa, but then suddenly our main character has sisters too? Book is not "for me" as I am not religious, but it has a nice message if that's what you're looking for.

A sweet story of a little girl and her family trying to appreciate what they have and the miracles that God can perform in our lives if we just believe in him.
#aperfecttree #Netgalley

I love Christmas stories, unfortunately I didn't love this one. Although I do recognize that it has some good messages in it, I just don't tend to enjoy books that push religion on the reader. I also didn't really enjoy the artwork in this book. I do think that many people will want to share this story with their families, but it wasn't for me.

DeeDee's having a rough Christmas season. The families new house is way to tiny, but they make do. Then, DeeDee gets a big disappointment during a gift exchange in her classroom. To add insult to injury, the families home is too small for a Christmas tree! DeeDee tries to be thankful, but it's really difficult. So she prays for guidance. Christian story. I think littles will enjoy it. Illustrations were nice.