The star tree is a simple, yet beautifully illustrated book about how we have let the commercial side of Christmas take over the joy of simplicity and tradition.

This book subtly shows how simple can be better and much more beautiful and enjoyable!

Frustrated by the bright lights and skyscrapers that threaten to stifle the basest of pleasures, the man produces some simple gold stars and takes them to a park where they are hung from a tree.

Here they are admired by a community of people who now have the opportunity to reflect on the peace and serenity that the Christmas season brings, without the distractions of the modern world.

Made me feel blessed to live in an area that’s not heavily populated.

A sweet, heartwarming Christmas story that will be a great winter read for families that celebrate Christmas!

This holiday book started out feeling very much like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But by the end, it's taken a turn to show it's not about hating Christmas, but it's about missing the traditions of the past. So many intricacies are lost with the technology and distance created between people. This old man just wants to bring the spirit of Christmas back.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The star tree is a simplybut beautifully illustrated book about how we have let the commercial side of Christmas take over the joy of simplicity and tradition. This book subtly shows how simple can be better and much more beautiful and enjoyable.
This book is a beautiful story to share with all children of all ages and grown ups too. This book has really made me reflect on what really matters at Christmas!
A thought provoking read which is a breath if fresh air!

Remember when we all put paper hearts in our windows at the beginning of the pandemic? And families would walk around neighborhoods, socially distanced, and look at the window displays?⁠
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This children's book, just released last week, may have special meaning for families who remember the "hearts of hope." It's a retelling of a classic story by a talented German illustrator.⁠
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The main character is an old man who remembers when children made shiny paper stars around Christmas to welcome visitors. Not many do that anymore and he doubts others would notice if he did, as the lights of the city drown out the simple paper decoration. Instead, he decorates a tree, pleasantly surprised that the city dwellers join him to see what is twinkling in the moonlight. ⁠
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The story is a gentle reminder that old traditions can become new again and that we can find fellowship with strangers despite the modern lifestyle that can isolate us.

This is such a simple story, but it’s heartfelt message will last forever. It feels like your grandfather telling you of the time all the Christmas lights went out. Which is what happens in this book. And the grandfather remembers long ago Christmases without the lights, and with simple stars cut from gold paper. Not only is this story beautiful, so are the illustrations. They have an old world feeling, but they seem lit from behind the pages. This was a wonderful story that should be passed on to new generations.

This was a lovely Christmas story, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the important things in life like family and friends. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful.

An old man reminisces about Christmas celebrations in the days before his town grew to be a large city. When there is a blackout in the city, the old man goes outside to the nearby countryside and hangs gold paper stars in the trees, and the residents of the city follow him to look at his decorations. This inspires everyone to sing carols and decorate their windows with stars. The narrative is engaging but a little longer than most picture books, averaging two paragraphs per spread. The full-color impressionistic paintings that illustrate the story add charm. A pleasant but somewhat quiet and uneventful holiday story with a European setting that is a nice read but not particularly memorable.

All the Christmas vibes except for the fiction that he's not Santa but an old guy who secretly goes out to decorate trees at night.

Love the illustrations. However, I wish the font size and style are beginner friendly.

Thank you, author/artist and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

This was a cute book. I enjoyed reading it. The story was beautiful and the illustrations were really beautiful. This will be a good bedtime story for children, also highlighting the importance of community,

The story demonstrates the growth and progression of the world, and how with it, people have gotten further away from each other. It also puts in perspective how hard it can be to be noticeable in this fast-paced world. How easily forgotten you can become.

The atmosphere is in true winter fashion. Its' 30 degrees Celzius and I feel like it's snowing outside.

The old man was lonely, and he was nostalgic for better, more personal, intimate times, where people cherished each other more.

But in the end, we see that everything is better when we come together, and Christmas is once again, what it used to be. A time to spend with people, loved ones. Simple pleasures.

A fantastic winter book for those eager to teach the young ones what Christmas is really about.

Originally published in 1997, which at first didn't seem that long ago to me, until you work it out and realise that was 24 years ago!

A very old man, lives alone, and as Christmas draws near, he remembers Christmases long ago, filled with family, friends, and stories. Now, out of his windows he sees dreary buildings, full of people with busy lives, who don't take the time or make the effort to get to know their neighbours.

With these fond memories in mind, the very old man decides to take action and attempt to bring back the wonder of Christmas.

A beautifully simple story that shows the importance of community and human connection, especially at Christmas.

A quiet book about slowing down and appreciating the simple joys of Christmas. The Christmas Spirit isn't filled by the flash and glitz, but by humble memories formed with friends and family.

This is a delightful book that would be perfect to share on Christmas Eve. It's full of memories and longings for the traditions and feelings of Christmases past by an old man who lives alone and is isolated in the big city. He remembers days gone by when friends and family would gather together to celebrate this festive occasion. They would sing carols and tell each other stories. The best part for him was when all the children created gold paper stars to hang in their windows and on their Christmas trees to welcome visitors to their home.

How things had changed over the years. All that lovely harmony, bonding, and love are missing. The cold bustling city with its silent skyscrapers is overrun with bright lights and flashing signs. Why who would even notice if those paper gold stars were strung throughout all that chaos? Sadly, probably.... nobody!

Undaunted the old man finds some left over gold paper in his home, grabs his scissors and starts cutting. He accumulates a huge basket full of stars and decides to take them out into the countryside where its darker so his stars will shine brighter as they reflect the gentle light of the moon. A huge storm takes out the city power lines and his magical star tree is discovered. Will the old man's dream come true and the true spirit of Christmas be revealed?

The illustrations are beautiful and vintage style. I love this book and am very happy that a timeless classic is now back in print with a new fresh look. Nothing can replace that feeling of human-to-human interaction and this book is a perfect read-aloud. I highly recommend this book.

I have a love-hate relationship with cities. The volume of opportunities cities give is huge but the noise, the fast-paced setting makes me restless. I feel like screaming some days but I know nobody will hear that. The screams get lost in the city and so do the celebratory cheers. The worst part about living alone in cities is not being able to celebrate traditionally, not being able to connect over food and music peacefully, and not being able to rejuvenate bonds with our loved ones.

You just lose yourself in your day. You work, eat, read and sleep. You seldom think about the ‘people around you. It’s not your fault. It’s the vibe around you. I almost miss how it feels to be cheerful and my true self around people. It’s complicated, it really is.  
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The Star Tree by Gisela Cölle//

A big city, a little house and an old man. He had lived there for as long as he could remember. He watched the city grow up, from empty fields to towering skyscrapers.  Nobody knows about this old man. He is lonely.

One winter night, this old man thinks of the Christmases from his time. He cherishes the good memories and times with his friends and family, the gatherings, the carols and the celebration. He smiles at the remembrance of how kids used to make gold paper stars to hang everywhere in the house. He gets saddened by how the noisy and fast city does not celebrate the festivals this way. Everyone is busy in their lives. But this old man decides to do something to beat his blues and that creates a lovely celebratory event for the people around him.

This is a sweet little book with beautiful illustrations that will make you feel nostalgic. It delicately comprises the importance of loved ones, the festivals, the little things and simple pleasure in our lives, memories and loneliness. It ends on a warm and peaceful note that will leave you pondering. I definitely recommend it.

#TheStarTree #NetgallyARC #IllustratedBooks #booksthatmatter

On an aesthetic level, "The Star Tree" was everything I've ever wanted. The illustrations were absolutely breathtaking in this book, and the story itself was engaging and entertaining. I found myself aching for my younger self, when I used to read books like this with my family. This book was a deep dive into nostalgia. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for the audience!

The most amazing things can be found in unexpected places, and in these pages that message really shines.

A little old man lives alone in the middle of a city. He's lived there a very long time and has watched as the city grew, swallowing up forests with streets and buildings. And while there is so much around him, no one knows he exists. When he remembers the wonderful Christmases from his past, he has an idea, and this spark may be a bit more than he ever dreamed.

This tale has been translated into English from German and carries a lovely, traditional story form. It's wonderful as a read aloud, and as a self-read, great for those who have a slightly better grip on their words. There is a bit more text, since this one does set the scenes and allow the story to bloom.

The illustrations are very artistic. The grays bring across the coldness and impersonal attitude of the city well and really allow the stars to shine. Young listeners can take this one and follow the story on their own as they glance through each page. And there are enough details to keep each scene interesting.

There are a few warming message in this one, and it brings across the atmosphere of Christmas very well. It's inspiring and leaves the reader/listener with a peaceful sense of warmth.

This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters are amazing and the story flows so well. Really cannot recommend this one enough!!

Fanciful illustrations in muted oils accompany this touching story of an old man who has watched the city grow up around him and is nostalgic for a simpler time with warm family and community celebrations; with stories told and songs sung around the stove.
He recalls creating golden paper stars that children hung in their windows to welcome visitors, and begins to cut out stars. In order to escape the bright lights and enable his stars to reflect the moonlight, he travels out to the countryside. But a storm knocks out the power, the city goes dark, and children see the old man and his basket of softly glowing stars silhouetted against the moon. Grateful to see the light, parents and children travel to the star tree. As a child begins singing, the old man gives stars to all of the children as everyone sings. When the families return home their stars fill the city windows with softly glowing, magical light.

This is a sweet, quiet addition to Christmas picture books, perfect for snuggles by the fire.

I love the soft illustrations in this book. The way they're done they take on that hazy feel of memory and nostalgia, which is the main focus of the book. There was a bit of a disconnect between the writing and the story, though. If the writing would've been a bit softer this could have been truly magnificent.