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Reviewed by Karen Tolentino for Readers' Favorite
My Gift by Raluca Sirbu follows a mother who gives her daughter a wooden box from her own mother. The box has three lovely stories from a heart-shaped land ruled by a cruel king who banned stories. The cruel king's dragons search the kingdom to gather every tale. All of the stories are locked in a dungeon until a brave girl risks the moonless nights to secretly collect stories from the frightened villagers, one at a time. Will the dragons catch her? Will the villagers defeat the king? What will happen to the stories? Inspired by the author's Romanian ancestry, the story shares warmth and gentleness about courage and the importance of stories passed down from generation to generation as a gift that stretches beyond one country.
Raluca Sirbu's writing has folkloric warmth—spare, lyrical lines that fit a story. Alisa Barannik, the illustrator, makes the author’s vivid fairytale vision tangible. The opening illustration is already wonderful: a mother and her daughter in a beautiful world. The vibe is whimsical until you turn to the next page. In an instant, young readers are transported into an enchanted realm. The illustrations are impressive, timeless, and memorable throughout. Every element of the story exudes magical flair in the text and the illustrations. From intricate winged creatures to green-scaled dragons and golden apples, the spread is colorful and textured, rewarding a slow, closer look with every turn. This is the kind of fairytale landscape you feel like you've wandered into before, even on a first read. The plot keeps things simple for a read-aloud. Overall, My Gift is a good book for children who love fairy tales and fantasy.
