The River That Gave Gifts (Fifth World Tales) [Paperback]

Margo Humphrey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Fifth World Tales

Four children each make their own special gift to the beloved elderly women of the town.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Fifth World Tales series comprises three bilingual titles (Adventures and Aunt Otilia in Spanish; Little Weaver in Vietnamese) and River, an Afro-American story told in English. The illustrations are childlike bold lines filled with bright, almost garish colors. For those whose eyes can take the glare, the drawings convey a folk art warmth compatible with the books' ethnic subjects. These will be useful for children in bilingual families and will give readers a peek at cultures other than their own. All ages.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up This picture story, with hand printed rather than typeset text, about children who want to give gifts to a beloved elderly woman before her sight becomes too poor to see them, emphasizes respect for the elderly and the value of imagination. Three children prepare gifts they know will be appreciated, but through thought and imagination the fourth child provides light by which the gifts can be seen. An afterword summarizes the themes of the story and discusses the Afro-American and African sources that inspired the story. The bold and brightly colored illustrations tell the story as much as the text, which is easy for beginning readers to read and understand. There are no differences in the text or illustrations from the 1978 edition. Nancy J. Schmidt, Indiana University Library, Bloomington
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Children's Book Press (CA); Bilingual edition (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892391286
• ISBN-13: 978-0892391288
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,198,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Great River By:Bryant Asprilla, February 25, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The River That Gave Gifts (Fifth World Tales) (Hardcover)

4 children want to give gifts to a beloved elderly woman , Neema ,before her sight becomes too poor to see them . The gifts were homemade and the children took great pride and thought into making them. But through thought and imagination the fourth child provides light given by the great river which allowes the gifts to be seen.

3.0 out of 5 stars The River that Gave Gifts, April 1, 2001

By 

Gipson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River That Gave Gifts (Fifth World Tales) (Hardcover)

The story is heart-warming and would encourge readers to respect and apprecite our elders. The children in the village recognized a need to present the old woman, Neema with gifts while she still had her sight. The gifts were homemade and the children took great pride and thought into making them. Read to find out what each gift was and which gift help to restore the old woman's sight. The story's strength could teach three lessons: respect, friendship, and love. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and enhance characterizations by giving each character his/her own identity. Readers would enjoy reading this story themselves and to others.