Clarence W. Sickles Releases New Picture Book, THE HAPPY CHRISTMAS TREE

It was a cold and snowy day in late 1800s, and a young child and his grandmother huddle for warmth near a stove. The Yuletide season has come, but a fire has devastated the nearby woods from which they get their Christmas trees. As the winter grows colder, child and grandparent must work together to celebrate their Christmas, and in Clarence W. Sickles' new picture book, vibrantly illustrated by Lorri Woodward, a local artist residing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, readers will see how the two of them search for The Happy Christmas Tree.

The tale is about Billy and Grandma Mary living a simple life in northern Vermont in the days of the one room schoolhouse where Billy is hired to fill the potbellied stove with wood to provide heat during the cold winters. An electrical storm sets the hillside on fire and destroys the small fir trees Billy used for a Christmas tree. Early on Christmas morning, Billy rides his tricycle into the village to search for a Christmas tree left over after the holiday sale.

Through this tale, readers will come to understand the joy of celebrating Christmas, its importance to Billy and Grandma Mary, and the inseparable bond between grandmother and grandchild. Readers will see how they work together to take care of each other, how they live simple lives and earn money by doing small jobs, surviving despite their difficult circumstances, to get through the hard times of life. Ultimately, The Happy Christmas Tree is a heartwarming story, to be enjoyed by all ages.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author
Clarence W. Sickles is a retired Episcopal parish priest and state licensed nursing home administrator living with his wife Jean in the Morris County, NJ 350 member Heath Village retirement community that he founded and operated as executive director. He is a past rector of the parish of the Holy Family with St. Mary's Church in Wind Gap and St. Joseph's Church in West Banger, Pennsylvania. Being father of eight children, Clarence improvised bedtime stories which his children enjoyed. After writing and publishing a book, The New Ten Commandments with an Account of the Historical Development of the Mosaic Decalogue, Clarence reverted to creating a children's story presented in this book. It is hoped that this story will appeal to children and to the child that is in most adults.

The Happy Christmas Tree * by Clarence W. Sickles
Publication Date: August 22, 2013
Picture Book; $21.99; 30 pages; 978-1-4836-4703-6
Picture Book Hardcover; $31.99; 30 pages; 978-1-4836-4704-3
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-4705-0

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at http://www.Xlibris.com.