BOOKS: The Present

Congratulations to Emily Daniell for winning this week's book giveaway!  While this contest is now closed, please come back to SixSeeds for more giveaways for good, family, fun!

At SixSeeds, we believe in the power of a good story.  The books our children are hearing and reading will move, inspire, and sometimes even shape their lives... even young lives. This week, we take a popular kids' book and examine it. Hopefully, the next time you're browsing though a crowded bookstore, our reviews will help you sort through the thousands of titles…  and you can choose wisely.

Title: The Present 

Author and Illustrator: Bob Gill 

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Cost: $12.29 

Buy It: Here

Better an apple given than eaten --- Anonymous

The opening quote summarizes the message of New York author Bob Gill’s recently published book, The Present. The story of giving is a common one, but Gill manages to write a simple, yet fresh tale of this timeless virtue.

The multi-talented Gill (best known as the author and designer of the 1975 musical, Beatlemania) creates compelling illustrations using primarily black and white drawings, with only a hint of color.

A child, Arthur, discovers a wrapped present hiding in the top of his Dad’s closet. He longingly peeks at it every day, while waiting for his birthday.  Some days, he is giddy anticipating the kite or ice skates he has always wanted; while other days, he imagines the bowling set he does not want or the backpack he could take or leave. Of course, it may be a scarf … his aunt always gives scarves.

An unanticipated visitor knocks on the door one day, prompting Arthur to do something unexpected. Upon finding out that she is collecting toys for less fortunate kids  -- he goes and gets the present, and hands it over to her. This twist makes the book just a little different from the usual tale of generosity … the character doesn’t stop to count the cost before freely giving his stuff away.

Perfectly titled, ending with this simple act, the reader never sees how the gift impacts the giver or the receiver. Parents often choose books which highlight the consequences of both positive and negative actions. Hoping to create generous children, we show them what’s in it for them.

But in this story, the reader isn’t privy to what happens on the other side of generosity.  This is refreshing, in that, there is no carrot to grab onto. Giving is the end – no means to an end – simply the end.

It’s occasionally helpful to take a step back and make sure we aren’t inadvertently overemphasizing what we receive on the other side of generosity (even if it is the simply how good it feels to see the look of pure joy on another’s face).

Gill offers parents and kids alike this chance in his clear message of selfless giving. And he handles this without lecture—through a simple story, culminating in quite a present for his readers.

For Parent’s to Consider:

Wow, this one made me think. When is the last time I gave like this?

And am I training my kids to give for the sake of giving, or am I subtly training them to give for what they might get in return? From cleaning their rooms to earning their grades, how much would our kids honestly do if we removed the carrot?

To Talk to Our Kid’s About:

1. Because this book is open ended, let them create their ending.

2. What do you think happened when the child received that package?

3. What do you think was in that package?

4. Would it be hard to give your birthday gift like that?

For another similar review on a book about giving, check out Dave Ramsey’s “The Big Birthday Surprise.”