The Trees of the Dancing Goats

Title: The Trees of the Dancing Goats

Author: Patricia Polacco

Genre: Diversity

Summary: A family was celebrating during the holiday season, but not as everyone else was. The little girl in the story polished the menorah and her grampa took care of the lights, which he did every year. Grampa had painted animals as well. Mother asked her daughter to go over to their neighbors, the Kremmels, to get cornmeal, but when she went over there, everyone was sick. Cherry was there crying because she was sick and they didn’t have a Christmas tree. When she went home, she told her family of the news. Her mother said that a lot of families were coming down with the scarlet fever. Richard, her brother, and her were scared to get sick. Everyone was excited about the holidays. That night at sundown, they lit the menorah. After dinner, grampa gave the kids one of their presents. Next, they all planned to cut down and decorate a tree for their neighbors. Grampa and Richard cut trees and brought them inside. They hung some animals from it for decorations. They called the it “the tree of dancing goats.” They made sure to hang a dancing goat on every tree. They packed food in baskets as well and loaded up the car and brought it over. Days later, during Hanukkah, there was a knock at the door. It was the Kremmels. They had made a menorah! Everyone recovered from the scarlet fever and only a few had permanent damage. Nobody had forgotten that Christmas or holiday season.

Characters: girl, Mother, Richard, Grampa, the Kremmel’s

Plot: A family was trying to help out another family by spreading the holiday season cheer

Theme: diversity

Opinion: I thought this book was good to show children that you need to treat and care for others with respect. One family helped another family out during the holidays which meant a lot to them and it was a nice gesture.