Hm.  Nice enough, I guess, but somehow just a little off, imo.  Sorry can't be more helpful.... ( )

Humphrey the giant and Leetree the elf are the best of friends. Their job is to make the wrapping paper for all of Santa's gifts. However, during the rest of the year there isn't much to do. Then one year Santa gives the friends a special project to grow a Christmas tree for Christmastown. The pair is so excited; they begin by planting a tiny seed. They take their assignment very seriously and carefully water, prune, and tend to the tree. When the tree is at last large enough, the pair leaves to deliver it. Unfortunately, when they stop to rest something goes terribly wrong. The tree is gone, and there isn't enough time to grow another one. What will the Humphrey and Leetree do when Santa finds out? Together the pair comes up with a plan to deliver a surprise that everyone in Christmastown will be talking about for years to come.

The Bottom Line: Things don't always go as planned, but Steve Light's gentle story of friendship reminds us that by working together, problems can be solved. Through a combination of storytelling and illustrations, Light has created an adorable holiday story that kids in Preschool - Grade 1 will love to read over and over. Children will also enjoy Light's fantastic and detailed illustrations. The folk art style and the use of a limited palette have a calming effect on the reader.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

Best friends and partners Humphrey and Leetree - a giant and an elf, respectively - are in charge of creating all the festive wrapping paper for Santa's many gifts - a job which they relish. When their despondency, upon the completion of their duties, comes to Santa's attention, that wise and wonderful holiday leader gives them a very special assignment: growing Christmastown's very own tree! All their care, in planting and cultivating the tree, comes to naught however, when the tree drifts away on an ice floe late one night. Can the distraught duo find a suitable substitute, in time for the North Pole celebration...?

A sweet holiday tale, one which builds on the "Santa Claus at the North Pole" tradition, The Christmas Giant is a story about friendship (I'm not really sure why it's the Christmas Giant, since Leetree is just as central to the story as Humphrey), and creative problem-solving, in the face of what could be a very dispiriting setback. I enjoyed the story, although I think the chief pleasure here is to be had from Steve Light's illustrations, which have an interesting "folk art" feeling to them, with their stylized shapes, and limited (though appealing) palette. ( )

A simple story with a wonderful message, this book makes its mark on the holiday reading scene with lights all aglow....but let's not forget about the remarkable artwork. You can really see the talent of this illustrator with each turn of the page. He is able to create a winter wonderland visually worth escaping to and bring to life two characters with such attention to detail (the boughs on the trees, the curls of his beard, the prints of the wrapping paper they were making...all there in their inky glory), you won't soon forget them. Humphrey and Leetree work so well together not simply in choosing tasks to aid the other based on their heights but in helping to illustrate the true spirit of the season. Their tale is a gentle reminder to take things back to what truly matters. The happiness of the season shouldn't be measured by how much we get or everything turning out perfect and going according to plan (though those things are nice); it's in making the most of every moment, no matter how big or small it may be and creating a holiday that is purely yours filled with memories to last a lifetime. ( )

The Christmas Giant is a warm and fuzzy treasure. Humphrey the giant and Leetree, his little elf companion are given the task to grow and deliver a tree to Santatown. Steve Light captures the friendship, love and tenderness of this special Christmas story through his endearing illustrations and accompanying text. Sometimes allowing his pictures to tell the story, children, especially emergent readers will love this memorable story. With a clever plan, the Giant and Leetree solve a difficult problem that leads to a spectacular ending. I plan to read this one to my kindergarten students this week and will let you know their reactions. The illustrations are beautifully detailed using pen and ink with soft pastels. The reader will no doubt notice new things each time they read the story. Librarians, media specialists and teachers will want this one in their classroom collections. Themes of friendship and problem solving make this outstanding.

I read this book to the delight of my Kindergarten classes this week during Media Class time.

They fell in love with Leetree and Humphrey. The students really understood the friendship and sharing toward a common purpose that lifts off the pages. They couldn't wait to see what was in the box the two delivered to Santa. Thank you to Steve Light from all the kindergarteners at my elementary school.

I was sent a hardcover signed copy of this book as a gift from the author. I want to thank Steve Light for this surprise gift won in a raffle. My review is my unbiased and honest opinion of this picture book. ( )