By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A local couple is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic children’s book that took them all the way to the White House.

It was in 2000 that Brighton author Colleen Monroe and her husband, illustrator Michael Glenn Monroe, published “A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree” which tells the tale of an overgrown pine whose woodland friends help realize his dream of becoming a Christmas tree. It became an instant classic, and as Colleen Monroe says, remains their best seller year after year. "It was the first one that we had done together that really just took off. The emotional response people had to it was amazing when I would go to book signings. I like to say I made grown men cry with it. It just was timely...a lasting message. It was definitely a gift from the universe to write it."

Michael Monroe, who is known nationally for his award-winning wildlife paintings and prints, says the reaction to the book soon took a turn neither of them anticipated when the Today Show's Katie Couric read the book on national TV Christmas morning, which was seen by then-President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. They requested a copy, which led to a correspondence that eventually resulted in Michael Monroe being chosen in 2002 to paint the official Easter Egg of Michigan, which represented the state in a White House display. "So we flew out there and had an Easter lunch with them. We just had a lot of fun. I think we kind of bonded and made a friendship to the point they wanted me to keep coming back and do more."

In 2007, Michael was chosen to paint the Holiday for the White House and the Friends and Family Christmas bulb that were personally given away by the First Family, resulting in another invitation to visit the White House. He credits it all to "A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree".

Looking back, the couple says they never could have imagined the impact the book would have, but really believe in its message of being yourself and learning to value the power of friends.

Top photo - The Monroe's with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush

Middle photo - A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree

Bottom photo - Michael Glenn Monroe paoiting the White House Christmas ornaments - 2007