Title: The Magical Christmas Tree
Author: L.M. Haynes
Publisher: Elk Press
ISBN: 978-1-989942-10-9
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book / Christmas Story
Pages: 24
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Author and illustrator L. M. Haynes has created a quintessential Christmas story in his illustrated children’s book titled The Magical Christmas Tree. Interleaved with full page drawings, he captures the storyboard tale of the Scott’s family, starting and running a Christmas Tree Farm in Vermont.
Established in 1959, Everett Scott and his wife Cecilia moved to a small town called Castle Falls. Working as a handyman and various other odd jobs, Everett always dreamed of having a Christmas tree farm. When he finally got the farm started, working the land with his sons, Everett noticed “something different” about one of his trees.
While all of the trees needed occasional pruning to maintain their perfect shape, this one tree in particular grew with an ideal form, and even more strangely had a yellow glowing aura surrounding it. It was indeed a special tree. The story then moves to Ellie, a young girl who was in failing health from an unknown illness. The doctors seemed to be unable to help Ellie, as day by day her health continued to decline. Her brother, Aaron Anderson, wrote a letter to the local newspaper, the Castle Falls Gazette, simply asking for prayers and support of the townsfolk. This caught the attention of Everett – he knew exactly what to do. He delivered the magical Christmas tree to Ellie’s family; the rest of the story follows a miraculous recovery.
Combining the elements of faith, prayers, healing, and spiritual power manifested in a Christmas tree, L.M. Haynes draws readers into the story with both credible names of characters, locations and artistic illustrations, resulting in a book which will become a favorite to all readers. The Magical Christmas Tree will not only grace the bedtime story choice for children around the holiday season, but with the theme of healing from prayers, this book is also a guiding light of hope for everyone, all throughout the year, especially those who may come down with an illness.
The galley text layout along with the many illustrations brings The Magical Christmas Tree into a “Best in Class” genre of children’s books – and given the minutia of detail weaved throughout the book, it generates the credibility of being a true story in which parents and adults would also enjoy just as much. This is a book which is a “must- have” for all growing families of faith, love and hope.
