What Is Given from the Heart

Patricia C. McKissack ∙ Illustrated by April Harrison

Hardcover

Published on Jan 8, 2019 | 40 Pages

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Ebook

Published on Jan 8, 2019 | 40 Pages

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Grades Preschool – 3
Ages 4–8

CORETTA SCOTT KING – JOHN STEPTOE ILLUSTRATOR AWARD FOR NEW TALENT WINNER

This final, magnificent picture book from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack is a poignant and uplifting celebration of the joy of giving.

"Misery loves company,"" Mama says to James Otis. It’s been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they’re blessed. One Sunday before Valentine’s Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service—the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple’s ""love box,"" but what does he have worth giving? With her extraordinary gift for storytelling, McKissack—with stunning illustrations by Harrison—delivers a touching, powerful tale of compassion and reminds us all that what is given from the heart, reaches the heart.

Award Winner

CORETTA SCOTT KING – JOHN STEPTOE ILLUSTRATOR AWARD FOR NEW TALENT WINNER

"Harrison’s cozy collage-and-pen illustrations warmly express the healing power of giving and gratitude in this posthumous work by McKissack.”—The New York Times

"A sweet story, one of the legendary McKissack’s last, enhanced by delectable art from a prodigious new talent."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This final book by the late McKissack (Let’s Clap, Jump, Sing & Shout) showcases the legendary author’s signature lyricism in full force and receives a stunning, aesthetically ambitious interpretation by Harrison, a fine artist making her picture book debut."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"What Is Given from the Heart is a loving tribute to collective work, responsibility and the joy that comes from giving freely from the heart."—Shelf Awareness, starred review

"A treasure from a marvelous storyteller."—School Library Journal, starred review

“[An] exquisite story of generosity from the beloved McKissack… Harrison has created soft yet dazzling illustrations for this tribute to faith, hope and the African-American community.” —New York Times Book Review

ISBN 9780375836152 (Hardcover)
Published on Jan 8, 2019
Published by Schwartz & Wade
Pages 40
Dimensions 8-1/2 x 11
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Lexile: AD660L | Fountas/Pinnell: N

ISBN 9780375988004 (Ebook)
Published on Jan 8, 2019
Published by Schwartz & Wade
Pages 40
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Lexile: AD660L | Fountas/Pinnell: N

Patricia C. McKissack

PATRICIA MCKISSACK is one of the most acclaimed authors writing for children today. She has written many award-winning books, including Never Forgotten, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; Porch Lies, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book; The Dark Thirty, a Newbery Honor Book; Let My People Go, recipient of the NAACP Image Award; and Mirandy and Brother Wind, a Caldecott Honor Book. Her other books include The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, Goin’ Someplace Special, and Precious and the Boo Hag. Patricia and her husband, Frederick McKissack, are the recipients of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

LEO and DIANE DILLON have illustrated over 60 books for children and have received just about every honor and award imaginable. They are the winners of two Caldecott Medals (Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears and Ashanti to Zulu), five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards (including one for the Knopf book, The People Could Fly), and numerous Coretta Scott King Awards.

April Harrison

April Harrison is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. She received the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award for Patricia C. McKissack’s final picture book, What Is Given from the Heart, which received four starred reviews and which the New York Times Book Review called an "exquisite story of generosity." She also received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Me and the Boss. April illustrated Alicia D. William’s Shirley Chisholm Dared, as well as Tricia Elam Walker’s Nana Akua Goes to School, which also received four starred reviews. Her work appears in the public collections of Vanderbilt University, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Erskine University Museum and in many private collections. April lives in South Carolina. Visit her at april-harrison.com.