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A Remnant Surprise by Vanessa Roam

A Remnant Surprise

by Vanessa Roam

Pub Date: Dec. 13th, 2011
ISBN: 978-1613464649
Publisher: Tate Publishing

In this gentle, well-crafted picture book for young children, an elderly matriarch lovingly sews quilts for her numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and receives an unexpected gift of love in return.

Kind and caring Great-Grandma decides to give her 35 grandchildren and great-grandchildren a gift that will remind them of her “love every night and every morning, and that will make them smile.” She sets about crafting quilted comforters for each one of them. Made with her own hands, each comforter will be “warm and soft, just like a hug.” At first, Great-Grandma plans to piece together the nearly three-dozen patchwork quilts, but with a between-the-lines poignancy that will resonate with adults, the author conveys the elderly woman’s realization of time passing: “Great-Grandma was a wise woman and she knew her hands were getting tired,” and she determines that sewing “thirty-five solid-colored comforters of love” will be better than “six pieced quilts of struggle.” One by one, the comforters take shape, with two small helpers in attendance: great-grandson Walter and great-granddaughter Gretchen, who asks if she might keep the pretty scraps of cloth that she collects from the floor as Great-Grandma works. The scraps are “remnants,” explains Great-Grandma, “leftover bits that are too tiny to do much with,” but Gretchen takes them home to her mother, who carefully stores the remnants away. Finally, the quilting is done, and Great-Grandma’s warm and cozy gifts are boxed up, sent, and received with love and appreciation by all the recipients. But how can the family reciprocate? In this story of familial caring, told with simplicity and sweetness—and complemented by quiet illustrations in soft colors—Gretchen’s mom has the answer: a handmade gift for Great-Grandma that comes with a “warm and soft” hug of its own. Endearingly presented with simple but resonant affection, this picture book celebrates multigenerational families, and it will have children appreciating them, too.

The relatable, touching story of an elderly matriarch who sews love into cozy quilts.