Determined to produce something very special for all his friends, Squirrel works hard to decorate his tree for Christmas, hanging garlands of holly and ivy, strings of polished nuts, and bunches of berries. Despite all his efforts, the tree seems to be missing something - until a silver star appears on top of it, and illuminates all with its enchanting light. When the star disappears the next day, Squirrel is worried and upset, and, coming upon a succession of his friends hiding packages, suspects each of them of taking it. When it turns out that their mysterious wrapped bundles are something else altogether, Squirrel becomes more and more sad, wondering where his star could be...

The animal companions from Pat Hutchins' The Surprise Party return in The Silver Christmas Tree - I believe that they also appear in Good-Night, Owl! and What Game Shall We Play - which features Squirrel as the main protagonist, rather than Rabbit. Young readers will enjoy being "in the know" - understanding why the all-important star keeps appearing and disappearing, and knowing what those wrapped items are - when Squirrel is not. The artwork - stylized line drawings filled in with a limited, but colorful palette - is appealing, in a vintage style that I am coming to associate with Hutchins. All in all, this is a sweet little holiday book, one which I recommend to young readers who enjoy animal stories, and tales of Christmas tress. ( )

A humorous Christmas story featuring the same characters as "The Surprise Party". Squirrel has created a beautiful Christmas tree which disappears overnight. Pat Hutchins also wrote "Rosie's Walk", "Don't Forget the Bacon", "Good Night Owl" and "The Wind Blew".