Customer Reviews

The True Gift: A Christmas Story

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always loved Patricia MacLachlan's work. She has written some wonderful books, and this is no exception--it is great.

Every year at Christmas, Liam and Lily go to their grandparents for Christmas. They have a certain routine, including shopping for gifts in one of the town's two stores, going to the Lilac Library, etc. This year will be different because in Grandpa's field stands a lone white cow. No one can exactly remember how it got there, but Liam begins to worry about it being lonely. He can't get the cow out of his mind, and he decides to take action.

The story that unfolds is one of selfless giving. Liam will sacrifice his favorite things on earth, his books, to provide a friend for "white cow." The lesson is clear, giving is its own reward when we put our own wants and desires aside to help others. Before long the entire town rallies to the needs of "white cow."

The story could well be a classic, read every Christmas Eve like "The Night Befor Christmas."

I would recommend this book for all ages and in particular shared with all family members around a warm fire, and a cup or two of hot chocolate.

What a truly lovely story that, like Sarah, Plain and Tall, captures the relationship between brother and sister in just a few words. When Liam realizes that White Cow is all alone in the field, he will not stop until he finds her a friend. The author quickly and simply captures the goodness of children's hearts. The farm is a wonderful place, and readers will wish they, too, could make cookies and visit used bookstores (and the best thing is, when you think about it, they probably can). Highlights the joy of coming together as a family and community. Worth ten stars.

I have found a Christmas treasure - - one that is certain to become an annual tradition in my classroom. After reading The True Gift: A Christmas Story, I purchased 4 copies as gifts for my co-teachers. In simple language, Patricia Maclachlan has given a true gift to readers of all ages. Adults and children will relate to the characters, especially the lonely cow. Keep a tissue handy. I highly recommend this title.

The True Gift is a well written story of kids learning what giving is all about when they discover a way to give that had previously never occurred to them. This realization enriches their experience during the Holidays and teaches them to "think outside the box" and be more compassionate. Everyone will enjoy this book, but it is especially good at gift giving Seasons, like Christmas, which sometimes become too commercialized.

I like that this story has a very humanitarian attitude toward animals. I like the selflessness of the little boy, and the compassion of all the people who lend a cow friend to another cow at Christmas. It's sweet.

However, the story is very briskly told without much description. It seems like the story was whittled down for brevity, and the characters lacked depth as a result. Of course characters in a short children's book won't blossom tremendously, but the story and characters seem very one-dimensional. I'd judge this as a one-time read.

I think that any child who enjoys animals would absolutely love this story!

Every single year, siblings Lily and Liam spend Christmas at their grandparents small farm. Their parents drop them off early and they have a few days before Christmas to help their grandparents decorate the house. Over the years, there have been several farm animals sharing the meadow and the big barn at night. This year, as they arrive, there is only White Cow, and she's standing in the meadow all alone.

Over dinner, Liam asks his grandparents about the donkey who used to be with White Cow. His grandfather explains that in the past he shared his pasture with some other farmers and their animals. Now, the animals have gone back to their real owners. Liam worries that the lone cow is unhappy. The story continues with Liam trying to work out a way for White Cow to have at least one friendly companion. He puts up signs saying that he's looking for a cow companion, and he sells his treasured collection of books to raise money to buy a friend for White Cow. Lily is a little nervous and knows that her brother will not be satisfied until he's fulfilled his mission.

This is a beautiful story, that will give children a few laughs and has a nice surprise ending. THE TRUE GIFT is a book worth adding to a child's library.

The story occurs at Christmas time and the final chapter is Christmas Eve, but there isn't a lot of traditional Christmas going on in the story.

This is a fairly basic story, well written with descriptive visuals. Liam who has gone to visit his Grandparents with sister Lily is worried about a lonely cow that no longer has any companions in the field. Liam attempts to sacrifice his time and possessions to bring the white cow companionship. In the end it is the community that pitches in to give white cow the gift of companionship.

Overall a nice book, suitable for a week long nighttime read aloud to your kids leading up to Christmas.

Lily and Liam are youngsters visiting their grandparents' farm for Christmas. They are planning to participate in various family traditions such as checking out books from the local library, buying presents from the small town's two gift shops and baking holiday cookies. However, this year turns out to be different when Liam feels sympathy for their grandparents' White Cow. Not wanting the sad cow to be alone on Christmas, he is determined to find her a friend, even if it means making a great sacrifice. The kind of sacrifice that illustrates the true spirit of Christmas.

Award winning author Patricia MacLachlan has given her fans a wonderful gift this Christmas in her latest novel: "The True Gift." Beautifully illustrated with black and white sketches by Brian Floca, this novel has a sweet, endearing message that is a must read for children of all ages.

I am in my forties and I personally enjoyed reading "The True Gift." It magically returned me to my own childhood Christmases, which I spent in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I was blessed to have lived only a few miles from my grandparents' farm and its large herd of cows. My country cousins kept some as pets. They are actually intelligent creatures. The cows that is, not my cousins. Only joking.

This novel reminded me of the true spirit of Christmas. It is a time for sharing and giving of love and kindness to family, strangers, neighbors and even pets. The ending was extremely warmhearted. It renewed my faith in mankind.

"The True Gift" is very appropriate for Christians. After all, the God of Creation gave us the true gift of Christmas by allowing His Son to come live with us temporarily. It was a genuine sacrifice to watch Him teach us about love before committing the ultimate act of love.

"The True Gift" makes a perfect present for Christmas or any time of the year. I like to celebrate Christmas in my heart every day. Read it to your children on Christmas Eve. They will appreciate you for this act of love. I wish everyone a merry Christmas!


Joseph B. Hoyos

Siblings Lily and Liam look forward all year to Christmas on their grandparents' farm, where they will help Grandpa with the chores, take snowy walks, withdraw books from "the lilac library," and shop in the small village nearby for Christmas gifts. But this year Liam is worried; their favorite farm animal, "White Cow," is now alone and seems unhappy. And if it takes everything he has, Liam will make sure White Cow is no longer sad.

It's hard to put a finger on an era for this book. It reads as old-fashioned, almost 1940s, with no television, computers, videogames--the kids are actually voracious readers!--or even radio in sight. On the other hand, MacLachlan refers to "chapter books" and a volume about "the emotional lives of cows," which no one in the 1940s would have cared about. Not pinning the time down is probably deliberate, to make the story seem timeless, and in the end it does. It's a good-natured, sweet book about two kids who do a good deed, something you might read aloud on Christmas Eve by the light of the Christmas tree to younger children. Older kids might find it "corny."

I loved the beautifully detailed black-and-white illustrations as well.

This is a short, warm story. Instead of reading it aloud to all of my kids, as another reviewer suggested (and is a great idea), I asked my prolific-reading 7-year-old to read it himself. It took him about 20 minutes. Then I asked him to journal for a while, thinking about the following questions:

What did this story teach you about the joy of family and true giving?
What does it mean and what happens when you put aside your own wants to help someone else?
How do Lily and Liam feel about each other? Do you feel this same way about your own brother and sister?
What does loneliness feel like?
How does this story make you feel about your own life?

I felt like this book, and thinking about these questions, was a good segue from the service project we just did, rolling into the spirit of Christmas. Many of my friends with school-age kids are looking for something else to be excited about besides just gifts on Christmas morning. I think this book can teach a valuable lesson, in a non-preachy manner, to kids of all ages. It's not a "current" piece so it will still be relevant in 10 years or 20. Surely a great addition to your timeless library of holiday heartwarmers.