THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHIP

by Jeanette Winter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 6, 1994

Winter's (Klara's New World, 1992, etc.) story about Captain Herman and his ship filled with Christmas trees is based on the true story of Herman Schuenemann. In 1887, Schuenemann began bringing Christmas trees from Michigan to Chicago on his fishing schooner, and he continued to do so every winter until he was lost in a storm on Lake Michigan in 1912. But his wife and daughters continued in his footsteps. Winter sticks pretty close to the facts here. There's no pussy-footing around Captain Herman's disappearance, although it's not dwelt on. The story, however, takes a back seat to Winter's wonderfully naive illustrations. Captain Herman appears as the archetypical fisherman, storms rage in swirls of polka-dot snow, and the women's Christmas Tree Ship is resplendent in its wreaths and candles as it sails into Chicago on deep purple waters. The holiday spirit lives in this beautiful rendering.

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 1994

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1994

Categories: CHILDREN'S