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Searching... Silver Falls Library | JP BLACKWOOD | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Ivy loves to give gifts, even though she doesn't always give the right present to the right person. The dog doesn't need glasses! The cat doesn't need a pacifier! And Ivy finds that sometimes it's hard to give back something you've borrowed and fallen in love with. But in the end, everyone is matched up with the right present, Ivy gets to keep the thing she likes best, and she gives her sister the best gift of all: a big, warm hug!
Author Notes
Freya Blackwood was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1975 and grew up in Orange in New South Wales, Australia. She earned a Bachelor of Design degree (Visual Communications) at the University of Technology, Sydney and then worked for several years in the film industry in Sydney and Wellington, New Zealand. She is a full-time illustrator. Her illustrations for Two Summers won the Crichton Award in 2004. She won The Territory Read Awards 2016 for Children's literature/YA fiction with author Irena Kobald. Her 2017 book, The Great Rabbit Chase, was named an Honour Book in the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, for Picture Book.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Ivy loves to give presents, but sometimes they don't seem quite right. The shoe she gives to the snail is too big, the eyeglasses don't fit the dog, the tea tastes funny to the rooster, the pacifier feels strange to the cat, and the ballet tutu is bothersome to the calf. But, when she is able to return the lost items to their rightful owners, the child learns how good it feels to give as well as to receive. The text is simple and spare; the realistic pencil and watercolor illustrations tell most of the story, and young children will enjoy reading the pictures. Ivy's patient and loving family adds warmth to this quiet, comfy book with a simple message.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this understated gem, a small girl gets a thrill out of acts of largesse-even if the things she bestows aren't really hers to give or don't have any utility for the recipients. Ivy gives her grandmother's reading glasses to the dog, her mother's coffee to the family's chicken, and her baby sibling's pacifier to the cat (who is definitely not amused). Fortunately, her family has no problem with regifting, and when Ivy gets it right, "her presents feel good, taste delicious, fit perfectly, and are exactly the right size." A modest act of generosity by Ivy's older sister brings the story full circle and allows a tip of the hat to two universally recognized truths: receiving is as nice as giving, and the finest gifts aren't always things (Ivy's "best gift of all" is a hug). Blackwood's (Her Mother's Face) text-five sentences total-is brilliant in its economy, empathy, and pacing; the same can be said for the subtle and slyly funny family characterizations of her delicate pencil and watercolor drawings, rendered on a creamy white backdrop with minimal propping. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
This cleverly conceived story begins on the title page, where young Ivy, who "loves to give," offers a pink tutu to a friendly goat. On the following spreads, she gives a shoe to a snail, glasses to a dog, tea to a hen, and a pacifier to a cat, while the accompanying text reads, "Sometimes her presents are the wrong size, don't fit properly, taste funny, or feel strange." Each spread shows Ivy offering her odd gift to its uninterested recipient (e.g., the cat looks dolefully at the proffered pacifier), while in the background, a different member of her family searches for that same item. Set against spacious cream-colored pages, the softly colored illustrations are free of distraction, allowing listeners to pay attention to what's going on while keeping in mind what just happened. Finally, a wordless double-page spread brings Ivy's family face-to-face with the animals (and the missing possessions). Once kids understand the concept, they'll be hooked and want to go back to look for the connections between Ivy's "gifts" and her family members. Blackwood is tuned into a preschooler's sensibilities; the story is funny and touching without a hint of condescension. Ivy re-gifts her offerings to their correct owners, and a small drama involving the tutu (her sister's) -- "Ivy loves to give, but sometimes she would rather keep" -- brings the sweet story to a satisfying close. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Ivy is a particularly generous toddler who is learning where things belong. Colorful and appealing watercolor-and-pencil illustrations on uncluttered creamy backgrounds show Ivy bestowing gifts on the family pets, with sweetly comical effect. Can a snail wear Daddy's shoe? Do chickens like tea? Will Grandma's glasses fit on a dog? Young children will delight in the gentle, clear humor here as they point out Ivy's well-intentioned mistakes and spot the objects' proper owners searching for their lost items. Ivy's gifts can be just perfect, and youngsters will be gratified to see that Dad is eventually presented with his shoe, Grandma her glasses and Mom her tea. Though Ivy likes to keep things sometimes, whoever shares with herin this case her big sistergets the best gift of all: a hug. Right on target for young children, this offering seamlessly captures the world of atoddler and presents a nice blend of humor and warmth along with an affectionate acceptance of the learning process and a most satisfying finale. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.