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THE SMALLEST GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

Name: THE SMALLEST GIFT OF CHRISTMAS
Author: Peter H. Reynolds
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6103-8

by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2013

A warmhearted, whimsical story with a folkloric feel and a theme that is anything but small.

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Roland is disappointed by the size of his tiny, red package on Christmas morning, but he learns that bigger is not always better.

When Roland wishes for a bigger present, his package is magically replaced with a larger one. But it’s not big enough for Roland. He wishes again and gets an even bigger box, the pattern repeating until Roland’s gift is a big as a house, then as big as a skyscraper. Still not big enough. Roland angrily takes off in a spaceship to “search the universe” for a gift that’s big enough to satisfy him. As the spaceship gets farther and farther away, he gradually has a change of heart. Roland realizes that the tiny dot of Earth, with his own home and family, is the gift he wants most of all. The touching conclusion shows Roland at home on the sofa with his family—the only gift he needs. Hand-lettered text and sophisticated, cartoon-style illustrations give the story the look of one for older children or even adults, but the theme will be easily understood by younger children. The message is skillfully and subtly conveyed, and though the lesson could be heavy-handed in less sure hands, readers will be both entertained and satisfied by Roland’s progression from greedy glutton to grateful son.

A warmhearted, whimsical story with a folkloric feel and a theme that is anything but small. (Picture book. 4-10)

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6103-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE REFLECTION IN ME
by Marc Colagiovanni ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

- BOOK REVIEW
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE AND A REALLY SOFT PILLOW!
by Peter H. Reynolds & Henry Rocket Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

- BOOK REVIEW
WHO I AM
by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)