Six children between the ages of 4 and 11 are bursting with excitement because it’s their grandmother’s birthday and they plan to visit her. But there’s a problem. They don’t have a gift for her! Undaunted, Lynette, the oldest child, suggests that they look for a gift as they walk to Gram’s house.
Soon, the children find items of interest along the way, even though they don’t consider them worthy gifts for Gram: “a scritchy-scratchy pine cone” laying on a path, “three jingly-jangly quarters” discovered on the floor of a bus, “some tippy-tappy pencils” offered for free at a local business, “a blaring-booming megaphone” found along a parade route, “some clicky-clacky stones” located in a stream, and “a swishy-swashy branch” from a tree. Each child carries an item till they arrive at Gram’s apartment, still wishing that “we had a gift to share. We couldn’t find one anywhere.”
When Gram opens the door and sees her beloved grandchildren, she laughs with joy. The children realize that “Gram does like the things we found, but mostly she LOVES having us around.”
Author JaNav Brown-Wood’s rhyming, musical text and illustrator Tamisha Anthony’s spirited, bright artwork make this children’s picture book a delightful celebration of the relationship between grandchildren and a grandparent, and allude to the truth that the simplest gift given with great love is the best kind of present.
(Nancy Paulsen Books)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.