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Children's Fiction Christmas & Advent

The Smallest Gift of Christmas

illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher
Candlewick Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2013
Category
Christmas & Advent, Emotions & Feelings, General
Recommended Age
3 to 7
Recommended Grade
p to 2
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780763679811
    Publish Date
    Sep 2015
    List Price
    $13.00
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780763661038
    Publish Date
    Sep 2013
    List Price
    $16.00

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

In Peter H. Reynolds’s whimsical holiday story, young Roland learns that more isn’t always better — and rediscovers the magic of home.

Roland can’t wait for Christmas Day, and when the morning finally arrives he races downstairs to see what is waiting for him. What he sees stops him in his tracks. Could that tiny present really be what he had waited all year for? It has to be the smallest gift he had ever seen! So Roland wishes for something bigger . . . and bigger . . . and bigger. But he’s still convinced there must be a bigger gift somewhere in the universe. Will he know it when he sees it? Peter H. Reynolds’s spare, free-spirited illustrations and heartwarming text make this be-carefulwhat-you-wish-for story the perfect holiday gift.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling illustrator who has created many acclaimed books for children. In addition to his Creatrilogy—The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color—he is the author-illustrator of Rose’s Garden, The North Star, and So Few of Me and the illustrator of Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody and Stink series. Born in Canada, Peter H. Reynolds now lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

A warmhearted, whimsical story with a folkloric feel and a theme that is anything but small.
—Kirkus Reviews

A boy with grand holiday expectations discovers that size is relative when it comes to gifts. ... Roland’s red polka-dot pajamas are among the splashes of holiday color in the spirited vignettes that playfully accent ample white space and Reynolds’s brief, hand-lettered text.
—Publishers Weekly

This story of “good things come in small packages” and the value of family is a welcome offering.
—School Library Journal

Reynolds’ spare illustrations, which are by turns funny and heartwarming, make this small book an ideal big gift for the holidays.
—Booklist Online

A small book with a big heart.
—USA Today

A lovely story about the perfect holiday gift: family.
—The Huffington Post

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