The Gift
Grade 2–6—Few picture books follow a protagonist from death to burial as in this poetic tale. A girl picnicking with her family long ago outside a small village wishes to be buried in her favorite clearing. An old woman appears who says the girl shall have her unspoken wish if she will only give her the flower chain she is weaving. The girl does so, returns to her family, and grows into an artist, wife, mother, and grandmother. When she is old, she expresses her wish to be buried in the clearing, which she has visited and tended throughout her life, and her wish comes true. Most remarkable are the illustrations, hand cut from single sheets of paper and spray painted, one color per spread, and then photographed. Intricate floral details in a folk-art style capture the girl's artistic spirit and the sunlight and flowers that grace the clearing. Despite the burial wish, this really is a story about a life well lived, but it may require some hand-selling to find an appreciative audience.—Julie R. Ranelli, Queen Anne's County Free Library, Stevensville, MD(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.