Gift from the heart makes a great present
Caribbean L 40 ife, Feb. 15–21, 2019 BQ
“What is Given from the
Heart” by Patricia C. McKissack,
illustrated by April Harrison
c.2019, Schwartz & Wade
Books
$17.99 / $23.99 Canada
40 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Oh, how you love opening
presents!
You love the surprise, first
of all. What did you get? You
won’t find out until you rip off
the paper and just the sound of
that is exciting. Maybe there’s
a box next, or plastic to open,
or there’s simply a gift for you
to enjoy. Getting presents are
awesome but in the new book
“What is Given from the Heart”
by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated
by April Harrison, is doubly
special when you have nothing
to give in return.
Mama always seemed so sad.
James Otis did what he could,
but it was “a rough few months.”
Nearly a year ago, Daddy fell
asleep one day and didn’t wake
up; after that, the farm was
repossessed and Mama had to
move herself and James Otis to
a tumbledown shack and there
never seemed to be enough
money. The final blow came
when James Otis’s dog ran off.
Mama liked to point out that
they had each other. They had
God, and they had small holidays
and such, but James Otis
knew it had been a struggle.
Then one day near Valentine’s
Day, he and Mama were in
church when Reverend Dennis
made a special announcement.
As always, the church was giving
to the needy that spring
but Mrs. Temple and her sevenyear
old daughter, Sarah, had
been victims of a fire and they
needed a special “love box.”
The Temples had lost everything,
and on the way home
that day, Mama said she wanted
to help. She wanted to find
something nice to give to the
Temples but James Otis had no
idea what that might be. Mama
reminded him of Reverend Dennis’s
words: “Remember, what
is given from the heart touches
the heart.”
And so James Otis began to
think. His crayons were broken.
Sarah probably wouldn’t
appreciate an old toy truck. His
whistle had spit all over it. His
favorite old puzzle was missing
two pieces. What would a little
girl like? Better question: how
can you give anything when you
have nothing yourself?
“What is Given from the
Heart” is a book that seriously
needs to come with its own
choir, one that would softly sing,
just when you get about halfway
through reading it. Yes, this
story is just that wonderful.
It’s okay if you don’t have
access to tenors and sopranos,
though. Your child will get the
message all the same because
author Patricia C. McKissack
tells a tale that shows loud and
clear how giving has its own
rewards and riches. Even kids
who turn into Gimme Monsters
will see it – in part, because
of McKissack’s quiet, loving
text and in part, because of
the collage-like illustrations by
April Harrison. Rounding it off,
the uplifting ending couldn’t be
more heartwarming.
This is a book that’s perfect
for soft-hearted kids ages 4-to-
8, but materialistic older kids
might need to hear it once or
twice, too. For them, or any
generous child, “What is Given
from the Heart” could make a
great present.
Book cover of “What is Given From The Heart” by Patricia
C. McKissack.