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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Anna’s very excited. She’s been invited to her friend’s birthday party. The only problem is that her mother can’t afford to buy a birthday gift for Anna to give her friend. You can’t go to a birthday party without a gift, now can you? In Rachelle Layne’s Anna’s Special Gift, Anna chooses to give the best gift ever: a gift from the heart. She can’t take a new toy, but she can give her favorite toy. She’ll miss the ragged, torn doll she’s had all her life, but the joy of going to a party and sharing in her friend’s celebration is worth it. The only thing is, the other children don’t understand and they make fun of Anna. But her friend understands. You see, “Expensive, brand-new gifts/ are not always smart,/ because the best gifts/ come straight from the heart.”
Rachelle Layne’s picture book, Anna’s Special Gift, is a tender, sweet story about unselfish generosity. Told in rhyming verse and simple language so young readers can easily follow along, the plot follows Anna as she shares her excitement with her mother, learns that they can’t afford a gift so she can go, then Anna’s truly compassionate, unselfish idea of giving something of her own, something very special. The plot climaxes when Anna’s friend opens the gift and, after all the other children make fun of Anna, makes her own opinion known. The illustrations are bright, bold, and colorful and help move the story along. There is a Biblical verse at the end to heighten the lesson being shared. A beautiful story, well told. Loved it!
