Book Details:
ISBN: 978-0-9815883-0-8
Pub. Date: September, 2009
Publisher: Ecky Thump Books
Format: Hardcover, 248 pgs.
From the Cover:
Enter the magical festive world of the Christmas "Tree-Dwellers", as Larry, a Christmas snowman, wakes up after the long sleep in the Christmas box, to find his brother is missing.
Desperate to find him before Christmas, Larry, along with his girlfriend Debbie, a newcomer Splint, and Larry's companion Tinsel, break the laws of the 'Tree-Elders' and escape down the tree and away into the house, to look for clues.
Away from the safety of the tree and in an unfamiliar world, the Dwellers stumble upon a dark and sinister secret that threatens their entire world. Can Larry and the group make it back to the tree in time to warn the others, and finally uncover the truth behind the 'Secrets of a Christmas Box'?
My Take:
This book is organized into 24 chapters. The intention being to read one chapter a night, beginning on December 1st and ending on Christmas Eve. The chapters are not very long, so it should be an easy task. I can see this becoming a tradition at our house once my daughter is old enough to understand the story.
I really enjoyed the world of the "Tree Dwellers". Steven Hornby has created a delightfully interesting world inhabited by Christmas tree ornaments. They use the pine needles from the tree as food and are governed by the "Tree-Lord" who always remains at the top of the tree. It is interesting that the lights on the tree served as the military for the Dwellers.
While the story is geared for a younger audience, there is a nice bit of adventure and mystery. The quest across the floor is full of danger and twists. Just when you think you have the whole thing figured out, there is a nice plot twist at the end.
This is a good Christmas story, full of lots of fun and adventure. The story gets a tad dark near the end, but nothing a normal eight year old would not be able to handle. I enjoyed reading it and will add this to my list of books I always read around the holidays each year.
About the Author:
Steven Hornby was born in Preston, England and attended Lancaster University for Design Communication. He is best known for his award winning animation, bringing to life J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional character, Gollum, on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
He has since worked as a lead animator on "I, RObot" (2004), "King King" (2005), Disney's "Meet the Robinsons" (2007), and "Glago's Guest" (2008), and more recently Dreamwork's "Kung Fu Panda" (2008), and "How to Train Your Dragon" (In theaters 2010).
He lives in Burbank, California with his family, where he is currently working on the sequel to Secrets of a Christmas Box.
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