THE PERFECT GIFT

Friendship and creative thinking save the day when the perfect gift is lost. When little Lorikeet finds a ripe strawberry, she knows she has found just the right treat for her grandmother. But on her way to deliver it, she stops to rest and it rolls away into the river. Chipmunk and goose each stop by to comfort Lori and take their turn at reaching the berry, but it is finally frog who retrieves it. Just as success is in sight, though, a croc gobbles up the four friends and the berry. Lori saves them all by sacrificing her berry, but what will she give for a gift now? With a little ingenuity and some materials from nature, the four craft a book about their adventure, which Grandma loves. DePalma’s acrylics use bright springtime colors. Her characters are facially expressive, and the scene with the croc is just scary enough for the youngest listeners. A solid salute to friendship, the power of creativity and the wonder of a homemade gift. (Picture book. 4-8)