Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree - 1963

Click Cover to Play Movie (23:31)

By Pam Barry Wood:

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree was written and illustrated by my cousin Bob Barry in 1963.  The book was originally issued with black and white pen drawings with green shading. It became the most popular of Bob’s ten children’s books and was critically acclaimed by the New York Times that year.  In 2000 the publisher asked Bob to color the illustrations for a new edition of the book.

On December 6, 1995 a Christmas special starring Robert Downey, Stockard Channing, Leslie Nielsen and the Muppets aired on TV.  It also had a featured review in the Times.

Bob, the son of my Dad’s oldest brother Bill, was 14 years older than I, so I knew him only in passing while I was growing up. 

We connected late in his life and delighted in sharing our mutual interest in researching our family genealogy.