The Smallest Gift Of Christmas (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Roland raced down the stairs to see his Christmas present. With great disappointment, he saw a small gift under the tree. Roland wanted a bigger present, so he wished for a bigger one. Still not satisfied, he went out in search of a larger present. It wasn't until he was very far away, that he realized what a present could be.Peter H. Reynolds is so creative and magical when he writes. The unique perspective he shared in his stories captured me. The Smallest Gift of Christmas was beautifully created with digital art and hand-lettering. The message didn't grab me right away. It helped to ponder it a while. I read the book, listened to the audiobook, then followed along in the book while listening to the CD. The message, for me, is about perspective. Not always an easy thing to understand - for adults or children. When sharing this book, be ready to start a discussion. I would encourage readers to talk about what happened in the book and what it means to them.The audiobook was read by Peter H. Reynolds, which was a pleasant surprise. He has a very nice voice. A reader could listen to his book over and over again. Dreamscape did add in music at the beginning and end which fit in well with the tone of this Christmas title. They also added in some sound effects that where well suited to the illustrations. There are no page-turn indicators during the audiobook, but there are pauses so book followers can turn the page at the appropriate time. Book reviewed from a library copy. Audiobook reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Dreamscape Media, LLC! I was disappointed by this one, which I had seen mentioned in a few places as a great new Christmas book. I, as the alleged adult, get the point (the size of a gift is not important, and can even be abstract), but my two year old was THRILLED with the dialogue of the kid shouting "I want a bigger gift!" It just felt obnoxious to me -- the set up was bratty and the "lesson" was heavy-handed for adults yet somehow not at all explicit so I'm sure my toddler missed the whole thing, so it's like the worst of both worlds. I also found myself wondering why we never find out what was in the kid's original small gift box. I guess the point is that it doesn't matter, but it still annoyed me. For a book where I wasn't buying the message, you could throw me a bone and shore up the plot.
What do You think about The Smallest Gift Of Christmas (2013)?
I love Reynolds' books, but I wanted to love this one more than I did.
—aksunny
