The Christmas Tugboat: How the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Came to New York City

A girl wakes on a November morning at dawn to accompany her mother and father—a New York Harbor tugboat captain—on a special excursion: to pick up a tow ship carrying the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and deliver it to New York City. Ransome’s smudgy acrylic scenes transition smoothly from panoramic views of the tug crossing in front of the Manhattan skyline to intimate moments, such as an image of the girl riding with her father in the inviting pilot house. Readers will be captivated by the vivid details of the journey (based on the authors’ experiences with their daughter), which help form a radiant Christmas story. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)