This summer we have read dozens and dozens of books. I am a reading GrAnn and there are piles of books in our home. I want to report on 2 of our very favorites this summer, books we’ve read and re-read and read again to the kids: The Quilt Makers Gift and The Quilt Maker’s Journey by Jeff Brumbeau, illustrated by Gail de Marken.
When I first discovered The Quiltmaker’s Gift in 2002, I ordered about a hundred copies for all of my quilting friends (it was in a Scholastic book order when my kids were small). The Quiltmaker’s Journey came out later, and tells the story of how the Quiltmaker came to be. These books are lucious. The tale is so meaningful and beautifully told and the illustrations are out of this world. We spent hours just reading these 2 books and looking at the illustrations.
These books come with my highest recommendation. Just get them and treasure them. You and your kids will be better for reading them. Trust me.
Amazon’s description of The Quiltmaker’s Gift:
In this enchantingly told original folktale, a wise quiltmaker makes the most beautiful quilts in the world – but she will give them only to those who have nothing. When a rich, dissatisfied king insists that she give him one of her quilts, she gives him what seems an impossible task: to give away all he owns. One by one, the king gives away his many possessions, and finds that the more he gives away, the happier he is. Finally, when the king has nothing, the quiltmaker gives him the promised quilt. But he knows that the true reward for his generosity has been the smiles of those he has helped.The Quiltmaker’s Gift has touched the hearts of readers young and old, bringing it to the PW bestseller list and earning it numerous awards and commendations. The heartwarming, strongly moral tale supports important values, and the detailed illustrations, featuring dozens of lovingly rendered quilt patterns, offer hours of delight.
Amazon’s description of The Quiltmaker’s Journey:
Jeff Brumbeau’s prequel to the best-selling THE QUILTMAKER’S GIFT, illustrated with Gail de Marcken’s rich, sumptuously detailed paintings, will be embraced by new and old fans of the Quiltmaker.
Escaping from the protective walls of wealth and privilege, a young girl discovers the harsh world outside, where some people don’t have as much as others. When she realizes that she has the power to help them, the young girl finds a strength and peace she never knew before. Making the loveliest quilts in all the land, the young girl decides to give them away.
