The story of the Christmas tree gets a royal sheen in a picture book that explains how British Queen Charlotte introduced this holiday tradition. But the story begins in Germany, where then Princess Charlotte would decorate yew branches at Christmas time. When she was chosen by King George III to be his bride (she'd never met him), Charlotte agreed but was scared. Happily, George shared her interest in horticulture. In 1800, in honor of a new century, she decided to have a Christmas party for 100 children. For the first time, to everyone's delight, she displayed a giant fir decorated with paper ornaments, fruit and nuts, and wax candles. She continued displaying Christmas trees over the years, and soon the people of England wanted trees of their own. This piece of history reads like a story, and the charming pictures add to the fairy-tale feel. But, as the author's note reveals, this is history a little-known piece of it. There are many holiday picture books, but few are nonfiction, making this a worthy addition to Christmas shelves.

The sister coauthors, both softball players (Jessica Mendoza is a two-time Olympic medalist), weave unusually detailed, useful information about softball into the story of twelve-year-old Sophia Garcia trying to prove herself to be as good a ballplayer as her older sister. Lessons about sportsmanship, finding one's own strengths, familial loyalty, and societal pressures are smoothly integrated into the warm family story. Doodle-like spot art is included.

A German-born princess uses her memories of home to create an English Christmas tradition.Born into royalty in Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1744, Princess Charlotte prefers being outdoors to going to balls. She loves trees, and at Christmas, she always brings a yew branch indoors to decorate. A marriage proposal from King George III of England means leaving her home at the age of 17. Lonely and not speaking a word of English, she relies on the precious things she brought along, including a yew branch. "With this, she could make magic in her new home." In 1800, having borne 15 children of her own, she holds a Christmas party for 100 children to ring in the new century, decking the halls with a large tree from the palace grounds. Simple prose and light watercolors keep this retelling of historical events within the understanding of children who like a good princess story. The book's creators don't shy away from including some children of color among white ones—this was, after all, during the time of slavery—but the text leaves some doubt about how, exactly, they fit into the group of "children at court." An afterword provides context to the queen's life and times, including the information that she was an abolitionist.A nice introduction to the origins of a cherished tradition for many. (Picture book. 5-8)