Each year we get a new Christmas book to add to our collection. In the fall, when I saw that Vikki Van Sickle had a Christmas book coming out this season I knew what this year’s new book would be! How To Decorate a Christmas Tree, illustrated by Miki Sato is a lovely little story told from the voice of a big sister to a little sister and full of family love.

Della Rose is decorating the Christmas tree with her family. As they decorate, she describes all of the ornaments and their importance to memories and family. By the end, readers learn that she is explaining things to her baby sister who will one day be part of the annual tradition.

For those who celebrate Christmas, the tree is a big part of the celebration. For many readers, they will see many of their family traditions reflected in the pages of this book. For me, just like Della, I too have ornaments from my first Christmas that make their way onto our tree. My readers have their own boxes of ornaments that they lovingly collect each year and add to the tree, often dictating the order of events to each other, just like Della does for Clem in the story. I particularly love all the different memories and places reflected in each ornament.

What makes this story extra special is the illustrations by paper artist, Miki Sato. Her illustrative style is unique and beautiful and was the perfect choice for a story all about ornaments and decorating. I love how readers can take inspiration from her illustrations to create their own special ornaments for their families and friends.