The Best Kind of Gift [Hardcover]

Kathi Appelt (Author), Paul Brett Johnson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Hoo-whee!

The folks in Dogwood are abuzz with excitement when a new parson comes to lead their congregation. The whole town gets busy preparing a pounding -- where everyone brings "a pound o' this and a pound o' that" to make Brother Harper feel more at home.

Jory Timmons wants so badly to give the perfect gift to Brother Harper. But it seems that he is too small to do anything right! He can't light a stove to bake a pie like Mama, and he isn't strong enough to carry a sack of corn like his older brother, Thomas.

But in this lively tale, loaded with country charm, Jory Timmons learns that the best gifts are given when he is simply being himself.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-A new parson has come to the Dogwood All-Faiths Tabernacle, and the congregation is so pleased that they decide to have a "pounding"-"-everyone takes a pound o' this and a pound o' that to help make Brother Harper feel at home." Jory Timmons wants to bring a present, but he's too little to make a pie, milk a cow, gather eggs, or contribute any of the gifts others are bringing. Like Cynthia Rylant's When I Was Young in the Mountains (Dutton, 1982) and Libba Moore Gray's My Mama Had a Dancing Heart (Orchard, 1996), this title captures the warmth of an Appalachian community, and Johnson's convivial paintings make both the setting and the characters shine. What could have been an often-told story of the search for the perfect present is instead a welcome slice of life.
Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“[A] sweetly old-fashioned tale that’s a gift to it’s readers.” (Kirkus Reviews )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688153925
• ISBN-13: 978-0688153922
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,299,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Librarian's review of The Best Kind of Gift, January 1, 2011

By 

Ann C. Shirk - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Best Kind of Gift (Hardcover)

I found The Best Kind of Gift at the Public Library System where I live. I was looking for something for my school which is PreK through age 21 special education. I very much wanted to buy this for my school, but it was out of print.
This would be perfect for my grandchildren, so I looked and found it on Amazon.com.

Our school system requirements for purchasing books do not include ordering from places like Amazon.com. We use bid vendors. I particularly like this
book because the boy was selecting a gift to give the new minister and wanted a gift that meant something to him: shiny, smooth rocks that could be
made to skip across the water of a pond. This was a favorite past-time of my
children and their dad. Thus I liked the warm fuzzy feeling of the book for
my family. The church members are "pounding" a new minister who arrived at their
church. This, also, was something we liked the feel of.