FICTION

The Gift Box

by Rohan HENRY
illus. by author. unpaged. Abrams. 2012. PLB $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0167-2. LC number unavailable.
COPY ISBN
K Gr 3—Ollie the elephant's mother lets him know that she considers him her "beautiful gift." This comment boosts the youngster's spirits and self-esteem, and he cannot wait to share the news with his best friend, a dog named Benjamin. Ollie asks Benjamin, "Guess what I am." When the pup answers, "You're my best friend," Ollie encourages him to guess again—several times. Finally, he jumps into a gift box, but Benjamin's wrong answers still frustrate and anger Ollie, and he yells at his friend, hurting the clueless pup. Ultimately Ollie apologizes, and, as he and Benjamin play in the box, readers come to realize the best gift of all. Cartoonlike pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings on white backgrounds lend a playful feel to this sweet but didactic tale of friendship.—Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City
After Mama calls him a "beautiful gift," elephant Ollie asks his dog friend Benjamin to guess what he is. Even with hints (he literally sits in a gift box), Benjamin can't guess, so frustrated Ollie refuses to play with him; all’s well after Ollie's heartfelt apology--then the guessing roles are reversed. Spare line illustrations in pen-and-ink and watercolor accompany the spirited story.
Reviewed by Stacy Dillon , Apr 01, 2012

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