The Queen and the First Christmas Tree: Queen Charlotte’s Gift to England
Nancy Churnin, Author
Luisa Uribe, Illustrator
Albert Whitman & Company, Nonfiction, Oct. 1, 2018
Suitable for Ages: 5-7
Themes: Christmas Tree, England, Queen Charlotte, History, Tradition
Opening: “Charlotte wasn’t like other princesses.”
Synopsis:
When Princess Charlotte left her home in Germany to marry King George III of England in 1761, she brought her family’s favorite Christmas tradition with her — decorating a yew bough with flowers and ribbons.
Years later, Charlotte became a queen devoted to charity and bettering the lives of families. She planned a Christmas Day celebration for more than one hundred children, rich and poor to mark the turn of the century. But she needed more than a yew branch to make the day special. She needed a tree decked with candles and paper baskets of treats. Though such a thing had never been seen before in England, Charlotte and her descendants would make the Christmas tree a cherished part of the holiday season.
Charlotte loved helping children so much she went on to build orphanages with cozy beds and loving caregivers. She also built hospitals for expectant mothers so more women would survive to care for their children. She had a love nature and spent long hours in the gardens of Windsor Castle.
What I like about this book:
The holidays are special time for gathering and sharing. This charming story will introduce children to the history of a cherished tradition — the Christmas tree — brought to England by a German princess. Nancy Churnin’s richly textured story is light-hearted and will remind children and parents of the magic and wonder of decorating the family tree. Luisa Uribe’s illustrations are lively and joyful, but capture the simplicity of the early 1800s.
Queen Charlotte loved her own 15 children, but had a big heart for all children. She planned a party for 100 children to celebrate the new century in 1800. The children at court helped her cut string, and wrap nuts, fruit and toys in colored papers and hung them on a tree. They added small wax candles to light the tree. Charlotte was a queen focused on serving.
Resources: Make sure you read the two-page spread about Queen Charlotte at the end of the book and how this tradition continued with her children, including Queen Victoria. And check out Nancy Churnin’s website for a Teacher’s Guide and activities for children to share about what they do for others. And talk about how early Christmas trees were decorated and how they are decorated today.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Review copy provided by publisher.
What a lovely book! Wow! Fifteen children. I’m in survival mode with just the one. 🙂
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I can’t imagine how women survived that many births. I love history written into PBs for kids.
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A lovely Christmas book with some interesting history. It also features a very strong woman who gave birth to 15 children, nursed a sick husband and provided charity for those less fortuante. She was also the grandmother of Queen Victoria. I would have loved this book as a child.
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This story is a story about a compassionate Queen who loved to serve. A lot of the details of her life are in the back of the book. I’d like to read her biography.
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Nancy Churnin has written some lovely picture book biographies. I’m looking forward to reading this new one, especially as it shows how an immigrant (although we don’t think of royalty as such) shares traditions with people in her adopted country.
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Yes, it is a lovely story. But so many of the monarchs of Europe were related to each other through marriage. But, she did bring some of her traditions.
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One of the things I miss most about Christmas in Germany are the real candles on the trees!
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They still use real candles on trees? I didn’t know that.
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Maybe not everyone, but my host-family did!
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Love, love, love this book, Patricia! Thank you so much for sharing such a delightful picture book with us. The cover is lovely.
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Yes, I loved Queen Charlotte’s story too!
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So excited to read this book! Fun review Pat.
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It is a lovely story. I enjoy reading stories about royalty, so this one really caught my attention!
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I love books about generosity and giving; thank you for your lead on this one. Looks divine. Happy holidays, Pat.
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Queen Charlotte and King George were both very generous and giving and loved nature. Happy Holidays, to you!
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This book is on my holiday list! Charlotte sounds like an amazing woman in many different ways. And I am grateful for her contribution to the season. But I still find it amazing to think that people put candles on their trees. I think the trees with candles must be more sparse, leaving room for flame, don’t you think?
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It was fun to learn about her. I knew so little. Julie mention that many Germans still use candles. Wow!
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Fascinating story! My first thought was how fortunate Charlotte was to survive birthing 15 children. I’m think they must have inspired her dedication to helping less fortunate children be cared for in orphanages. I plan
to read the book and find out!
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It has inspired me to want to learn more about Queen Charlotte. I knew so little and she seemed like a caring Queen.
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This looks perfectly charming. I will check it out. Thanks for the reivew.
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I am glad you enjoyed my review. It is a charming story about a compassionate queen and a holiday tradition.
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What a lovely story based in history, and another one that shows the true meaning of Christmas – caring for others. Thanks for sharing, Patricia.
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I didn’t know anything about Queen Charlotte. This is a lovely way to introduce her to children — especially since she love children so much. And, they learn a little history about the origin of England’s Christmas tree traditions.
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I love making ‘educational’ things both interesting and fun where possible. 🙂
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I adore Christmas books! Can’t wait to read this one.
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Sheds light on a very compassionate queen and a Christmas tradition she brought to England.
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