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THE CHRISTMAS TREE TANGLE by Margaret Mahy

THE CHRISTMAS TREE TANGLE

by Margaret Mahy & illustrated by Anthony Kerins

Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 1994
ISBN: 0-689-50616-3
Publisher: McElderry

Veteran Mahy (A Fortune Branches Out, p. 559, etc.; The Greatest Show Off Earth, see p. p. 1412) scores again with this rhyming tale of animal mayhem. The Christmas aspect is superfluous, since the story could be told in any locale or time of year. A mischievous kitten climbs a Christmas tree, then gets stuck at the tip. A cat, a dog, a goat, and some pigs go to her rescue, each one getting stuck in turn. But the kitten proves to be a trickster and scampers down, leaving the other animals stranded. Finally, an unnamed heroine saves the day. The verse is witty and effortless as a bell's chime. Kerins adds a few clever touches—the pigs ascend in rappelling gear, the child via balloon—but overall the illustrations are mediocre and lack a sense of danger. Not her best work, but average Mahy beats the rest of the pack when it comes to plain, unaffected fun. (Fiction/Picture book. 5-8)