The Most Important Gift of All

by David Conway, Karin Littlewood (Illustrator)

A reassuring story about the arrival of a new sibling. Ama wants to honor her newborn baby brother with a special gift, as is the custom of the people in her village. When Grandma Sisi suggests “the gift of love,” Ama sets off in search of this important present, but how will she know when she has found it? This richly illustrated story, told in the folktale tradition, celebrates a young girl’s simple, earnest discovery of the most important gift of all. David Conway is an established poet and a fresh, new voice in children’s picture books whose keen interest in world travel and culture has influenced his writing. He drew inspiration for The Most Important Gift of All from his love of reading folktales from around the world. Karin Littlewood’s travels to Kenya are reflected in the warm, vibrant colors and lush, richly detailed landscapes of her illustrations. She is frequently invited to speak at elementary schools, where she enjoys sharing her passion for picture book illustration with young children.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Love, Family, Animals, Africa, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

David Conway is a children's picture book author who has written for Hodder, Random House, Frances Lincoln and Gullane Children's Books. He has been awarded The Peter Pan Silver Star by the Swedish wing of the IBBY and the Parents' Choice Gold Award in the US for Lila and the Secret of Rain. His first picture book The Most Important Gift of All illustrated by Karin Littlewood, was nominated for The Kate Greenaway Medal in 2006.

David's most recent picture book The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster was chosen as one of the children's books of the year 2008 by Nicolette Jones of The Sunday Times and has been shortlisted for the 2009 Sheffield Children's Book Award. Shine Moon Shine was chosen as one of the top ten picture books of 2008 by The Bookbag.

David's picture books are published in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Spain (Catalan and Spanish) Columbia, Korea the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa and Japan. As well as writing David is a stay-at-home father and brings up his two children Bess and Jude and a cat called Bobby. David's wife works in academic publishing.

Reviews

[Ruby Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of love and how its seen as an abstract noun- this would be really useful in explaining what abstract nouns are to KS1. Sometimes the concept of a noun which you can’t touch can be quite difficult to comprehend. However, I would have preferred to have seen a little more African culture within the text, however, the references to singing and dancing were nice and the colourful animal illustrations too.

[Steph Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is lovely if someone is struggling with accepting a new baby into the family. Ama just wants to find the perfect gift for her new sibling. She wants to give the perfect gift to her bay brother. On her journey she searchers for love to give to her brother, later realising that love is just being there for that person and the creating happy memories.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so lovely looking at the birth of a child and how love can be found anywhere you want it to be found! Nice to see some diverse families in it as well looking at culture around the world! Highly recommend.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ama searches for love to give to her newborn brother.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this folk tale, and the illustrations were beautiful.

[Mathew · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Conway has been twice nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal, once in 2006 for this book and again in 2011 for Bedtime Hullabaloo but I have to say I wasn't taken with this story at all. It tells of a little sister's quest to find love for the coming of her baby brother. On her way to find it she encounters many of animals which have come to represent Africa who also cannot tell her where to find love. It is only when she encounters the wise old lion who tells her only that she will know it when she sees it, that Ama finally discovers it when she encounters her father.

I did like the different animals and the illustrations are beautiful with a strong range of perspectives and good use of framing and double-page spreads at times but it is a story which I think misses the mark in terms of celebrating the culture of wherever it is meant to be set in Africa. I felt as if the words and story itself could have been lifted and placed anywhere and it still would have had the same impact.

[Juso · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is love? For most adults, understanding love can be challenging, and for students it can be even more challenging. The story intoduces us to the main character, Ama. Ama's mother just gave birth to a new baby boy. Ama then searches for a gift for her baby brother. Her grandmother suggests that Ama give him the gift of love. As a result, Ama goes on a journey through the village and meets animals such as a lion and a giraffe. She asks them where can she find the gift of love. However, none of them know. After Ama returns home to celebrate the birth of her baby brother, she then begins to understand what love is.

This story can be used to introduce students to the topic of love. The teacher can begin a lesson by asking students who they love or who in their family loves them? Since this story has vivid illustrations of many places, the teacher can do a lesson on settings and maybe have the students think of various settings outside of the story that Ama could have went on to find her gift for her baby brother.

[Mary Anjali · Rating 2 out of 5]

This whole story is based off of the idea of "love" and what is love. A young girl in africa has a new baby brother and wants to find "love" to give to her brother. This story asks the question, "where do I find love." "Does it exist in plain sight?" I would put this story under the genre of folktale, myth since the young girl is able to talk to the animals. In the end the girl finds that love conquers all, and that is the theme.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a folktale about the discovery of love. This book is about a family in Africa, therefore I believe it will be great for my multi-cultural text set in my classroom library. The pictures are wonderfully illustrated.

[Paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a good book to be read to all ages. In this book, the little girl Ama discovers what the most important gift of all is to her. She finds peace in this. Many of us would interpret "the gift of love" differently and that's why I think this book could be inspiring to readers.

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely watercolors of African village life. Ama goes looking for the important gift called 'love' to give her new baby brother and finds it when her father comes looking for her.

[Zonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ama's mother gives birth to a baby boy and Ama searches the African countryside to search for the gift of love. Simple story with a confusing ending.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute theme, but weird book.

[Melanee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations were beautiful!

[Shavonne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't really do it for me or my boys. I was hoping it would touch the subject of love in more details, but still be simple enough for children.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple story about searching for the greatest gift - love. Ama goes in search for something but wise old lion tells her that is isn't something she can find but something she'll know when she feels it.