ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Sisters Maple and Willow make their fourth appearance, and this time out, they're getting ready for Christmas. The girls are finally buying a real tree, and the snowy spreads at the Christmas tree farm are as enticing as the girls are excited. But alas, Maple is allergic to the trees, and Willow is hardly sympathetic. When Maple apologizes for ruining Christmas, Willow says, "I'm sorry you ruined Christmas, too." It doesn't take long for Willow to feel bad, and she comes up with a plan. Whether or not readers will find the result quite as delightful as the girls do llow decorates a ladder as a tree substitute does make the ending a surprise. As in previous books, Nichols admirably captures the sisterly bond, often without words. The ink-and-watercolor artwork is full of real-life emotions, everything from Maple's dismay at her reddening nose as the allergies kick in to the final images of the girls enjoying their yule ladder. A welcome holiday choice.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Maple and her younger sister, Willow, return in their fourth picture book, and they-re busy with the -hard work- of Christmas preparations, including baking cookies, selecting -the best Christmas tree... in the whole wide world,- and decorating it. When Maple starts sneezing as soon as the fir tree comes inside, the sisters- visions of Christmas are upended. Nichols does a lovely job of showing the closeness between these girls (discussions of which tree is best are conducted in pig Latin) and how that closeness is, at least temporarily, threatened. -Willow, I-m sorry I ruined Christmas,- Maple confesses. -I-m sorry you ruined Christmas, too,- Willow replies. The younger girl-s anger and disappointment are short-lived, and her (truly unexpected) solution to their allergy-driven holiday dilemma will bring smiles to readers- faces, just as it does to Maple-s. Ages 3-5. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

PreS-Gr 2 The fourth book featuring charming young sisters Maple and Willow is set at Christmas, when the excitement of getting a real tree for the first time is eclipsed by Maple's immediate allergic reaction to it. Both girls are sad when they have to put the tree outside as a result. After an exchange of words during which feelings are hurt, Willow gets creative and surprises Maple with a decorated ladder "tree." Cheerful pastel pencil drawings with plenty of white space appropriately capture the snowy season. VERDICT Simple yet satisfying, this story of sibling thoughtfulness and surprise successfully evokes the holiday spirit. Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library