by Linda Sue Park
illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Clarion Books, November 15, 2011
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0547201955
32 pages, ages 4-8
The Third Gift
From two extraordinary talents, a beautifully crafted picture book for the Christmas season. The three wise men, or the three kings, are familiar figures in the Christmas tradition. Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park has taken the brief biblical references to the three as the starting point for a new story. In it we meet a boy who is learning his father’s trade; a man who gathers resin from certain trees; a merchant in the marketplace; and three strangers in brightly colored robes who are shopping for a gift for a baby.
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline with exquisite paintings, this simple, moving tale of ordinary people involved in an extraordinary event brings new resonance to the well-known gift list of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Includes an author’s note.
Recognition
2012 ALA Notable Book for Children
2012 Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year
2012 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
2012 CCBC Choices
2012 NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Book Award
2015 We Are Kid Lit Collective Summer Reading Lists
Reviews
“Newbery Medalist Park’s lean, well-paced story bridges the ordinary and the sacred to powerful effect”
—Publishers weekly, starred review
“This gorgeous picture book sheds thoughtful light on a fascinating facet of the Christmas story."
—School Library Journal