Review: The Lost Gift by Kallie George & Stephanie Graegin

The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story
Author: Kallie George
Illustrator: Stephanie Graegin
Genre: Picture Book/Holiday
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

Description:

In this charming Christmas-themed picture book that feels like a classic, four animals deliver a lost package for Santa.
 
It’s Christmas Eve, and Bird, Rabbit, Deer, and Squirrel are eagerly waiting for Santa to fly overhead. When he does, a gift tumbles out of his sleigh, landing in the woods. The friends find the gift and read the tag: “For the new baby at the farm. Love, Santa.” And so, in spite of Squirrel’s grumbling—“It’s not our baby”—they set off on a long journey to deliver it. Sweet, poignant, and starring a cast of truly adorable characters, this is a story sure to be shared year after year at Christmastime.  

PRAISE FOR THE LOST GIFT:

“Graegin creates...an atmosphere of quiet magic as the animals discover the rewards of doing a kind deed.”—Publishers Weekly

“A delightful, quiet story with a subtle theme of giving to others as a gift in itself.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A cheerful choice for lapsits or storytime.”—School Library Journal

“Listeners and readers will empathize with the characters’ emotions, captured in friendly, digitally colored pencil-and-ink-wash illustrations.”—The Horn Book Magazine

The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story is an adorable picture book that will enchant readers of all ages! The story follows four animal friends on Christmas Eve as they discover a present that has fallen off of Santa's sleigh. They decide to help Santa by delivering the present themselves, and in the meantime, they learn some fantastic life lessons. Even though this is a picture book, the story was well developed and the animal characters were rounded. Each had a unique personality and traits that set them apart - which made it easy to empathize with them right away. Although the story isn't very long, it touches upon several great topics including friendship, doing what's right, and helping others. 

The illustrations were so cute and well done. There was a great amount of color and shading to bring the story and characters to life in front your eyes. The use of colored pencils was a good choice and the artist did a wonderful job creating fun illustrations to accompany the story. This is a fantastic story for children learning to read, as the text isn't overwhelming and will keep them engaged. It's also a great book to read to small children during the holiday season - or for all readers who enjoy a cute story with furry friends.

Kallie George
 I’m an author, editor, and speaker living in Vancouver, BC, near the sea. When I’m not writing or editing, I’m teaching creative writing workshops.

I have my Masters of Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia.

I love picture books, fairy tales, beautiful art and music, and baking cookies.

http://www.kalliegeorge.com/



Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of Forget Me Not by Nancy Van Laan; Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins, which received three starred reviews; and Happy Birthday, Bunny! by Liz Garton Scanlon, which received two starred reviews. Graegin earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute for Fine Arts and her MFA in printmaking from the Pratt Institute. You can visit her at graegin.com.  

*A huge thank you to the wonderful people at Random House Children's Books for sending me a copy of the book for review!*