This Is a Gift for You

by Emily Winfield Martin (Author) Emily Winfield Martin (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A stunning companion to the best-selling and beloved The Wonderful Things You Will Be, this picture book celebrates how we say I love you with gifts as heartfelt as a daisy, as magical as a dream, and as comforting as a place to belong. It is a poetic tribute to the simple joys of life and nature, and a reminder that the greatest gift we have is time spent together.

The gift of quiet

and the gift of loud,

your hand in my hand

out in a crowd.

New York Times bestselling author Emily Winfield Martin joyously and thoughtfully shares the different ways of giving and loving. Like a beautifully wrapped gift, life's every day moments are precious: in both the little things and the big things, we can all find wonder. From a feather, to a hug, to a sunset, this book captures these gifts within its pages to remind readers how much they are loved, and how incredible this world we share is. 

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Hardcover
$18.99

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—This sweet list of "gifts" or wishes from parent to child is enhanced by lovely illustrations and spare text. There is really no story here. It is a poetic list: "The gift of quiet.../ And the gift of loud.../ Your hand in my hand/ Out in a crowd." The sentiment is genuine, though verging on saccharine, and the meter and rhyme mostly flow well. It sells appreciating the moment, being oneself, feeling safe, and caring about the world. Acrylic, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations are lovely, depicting a multicultural cast of children and their families reading, drawing, riding a train, playing outside, and visible through apartment windows. They are detailed and varied, from a close-up of two hands, to crisp items on a white background, to double-page scenes. There is a lovely bit of continuity, with a father giving his daughter a blue marble with the words "I'll give you this world like a lucky blue stone," and a later reference to the "blue stone" with a depiction of the earth in space. The nature images are particularly arresting, including a page that is full of butterflies. VERDICT While the text here will likely appeal more to parents than children, the sentiment is a worthy one to share, and the lovely illustrations will keep the children engaged. Add where Martin's other books are in demand.—Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Lib., CT

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Emily Winfield Martin
#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Winfield Martin is the author and illustrator of picture books and middle grade titles: Dream Animals, Day Dreamers, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, The Littlest Family's Big Day, Oddfellow's Orphanage, Snow and Rose, and The Imaginaries. Emily is known to wander in the woods whenever she can. She lives in Portland, Oregon in a little house with a hobbit door and lots of bookshelves. You can find her at emilywinfieldmartin.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781524714161
Lexile Measure
430
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date
November 30, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
Parent and child
Wishes

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