THE PRESENT by Bob Gill

I am not usually a fan of books whose message is too obvious.  But even though the message in THE PRESENT is an obvious one, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book!

The quote at the beginning of the book gives a clue about the message. It says, "Better an apple given than eaten"--Anonymous

A little boy named Arthur noticed a wrapped package on the top shelf of his parents' closet. He knew his birthday was coming and knew that it must be a gift for his birthday.  He wondered and wondered what might be in the box, thinking about so many of the things he was hoping for.  Each day he became more and more excited as he wondered about the present.

Finally, his birthday is only one day away (Spoiler coming but this is a picture book so I think it is okay!)  That day, the doorbell rings and a woman comes to collect toys for poor children.  Arthur decided to get the present down from the closet and give it to the woman.

The illustrations are all done in blacks and grays with the present being the only thing in color on each page. The author does a great job of having the feeling of excitement over a wrapped present.  And the ending is a surprise in a good way.

I am anxious to share this book with students of all ages.