The Smallest Gift of Christmas

Written by Peter H. Reynolds

Narrated by Kirby Heyborne

Roland can't wait for Christmas Day, and when the morning finally arrives he races downstairs to see what is waiting for him. What he sees stops him in his tracks. Could that tiny present really be what he had waited all year for? It has to be the smallest gift he had ever seen! So Roland wishes for something bigger...and bigger...and bigger. But he's still convinced there must be a bigger gift somewhere in the universe. Will he know it when he sees it? Peter H. Reynolds's spare, free-spirited illustrations and heartwarming text make this be-careful-what-you-wish-for story the perfect holiday gift.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Nov 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781633795020

Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is the award-winning author and illustrator of The North Star, The Dot, and Ish. He also illustrated the bestselling Someday by Alison McGhee, Tess's Tree by Jess M. Brallier, and the bestselling Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. Peter is the founder and CEO of FableVision, an educational company that produces animated films, books, and software. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Reviews for The Smallest Gift of Christmas

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Roland realizes that when it comes to gifts, size does not matter. Whimsical and wise.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Roland sees the tiny gift waiting for him under the tree on Christmas morning, he is decidedly unimpressed. Wishing and wishing for something bigger, he finds that his present does indeed grow and grow, until finally he finds a rocket and jets into space, looking for bigger and bigger things. It is only when Earth is reduced to a tiny speck, disappearing in the vastness of space, that Roland reconsiders, realizing that sometimes tiny things can be precious indeed...The author and illustrator of the "Creatrilogy" - a series of picture-books (The Dot, Ish and Sky Color) meant to encourage creativity in young children - Peter H. Reynolds turns his attention to the holiday season in The Smallest Gift of Christmas, and to the importance of family and home at this time. I appreciated the story idea here, and the fact that Roland discovered his mistake in assuming that bigger was better, but I think that perhaps this story type just isn't for me, when it comes to the Christmas fare I prefer. I found myself feeling rather impatient with Roland's attitude, even though I acknowledge that it isn't that uncommon for people, whether adults or children, to get too focused on the gift-receiving aspect of the holiday, to the detriment of more important matters. I had a similar feeling about another holiday picture-book I read recently, A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas, which also featured a child with an unhealthy fixation on gifts. I realize that such situations do arise, but somehow the focus on gift obsession is unappealing to me in a Christmas book, especially if that obsession isn't challenged until the very end of the story. Although not really my cup of tea, I do recommend that Reynolds fans check it out, if they are in the market for Christmas books.