A Town Tradition Becomes a Children’s Story…
The Tree in Dock Square was inspired by a real event. Jean’s husband grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts. When he was twelve, he and his father planted a three-foot sapling in the backyard of their home. It grew into a towering giant that began to threaten the house during winter storms. Rather than chopping it down and hauling it away, the family offered the pine to the town for its annual tree lighting ceremony. To the family’s delight, the tree was selected from among several being considered. The joy was short-lived, however. Jean’s father-in-law had died three years earlier, and as workers cut down the pine, memories of his loss became overwhelming. That changed on the night of the ceremony. As the tree was lit with holiday lights, the crowd cheering happily, community spirit and tradition transformed the family’s sorrow into joy once again. thetreeindocksquare.com
- View Tree’s Journey to Dock Square Photos.
- Experience Christmas in Rockport Music Video. (Lyrics by Dorothy Ramsey Stoffa, tree lighting emcee for thirty-two years. Music by David Alpher, ASCAP composer.)
About the Project Director for Cape Ann Reads: For more than 20 years, Catherine Ryan was an art dealer and gallery co-director in New York City. During that time, she worked with renowned artists such as Laurette de Brunhoff, author and illustrator of the Babar Children’s Book Series. Since moving to Gloucester, Catherine has volunteered for many civic projects on Cape Ann, including Gloucester’s Harborwalk, the Downtown Cultural District, and murals at City Hall. In 2015, Cape Ann Reads asked her to serve as project leader overseeing its public events, the picture book contest, and publication of the winning book
About the Book Illustrator: Living in the area where Virginia Lee Burton wrote her classic, The Little House, Bonnie L. Sylvester found inspiration to become a children’s book illustrator. When Cape Ann Reads called for artists to work with writers entering its picture book contest, she volunteered, and Cape Ann Reads paired her with Jean. Bonnie works primarily in watercolor, pen and ink, acrylic and mixed media. Her fine art has been shown throughout Cape Ann.
© 2020 Jean Woodbury