Keepers

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: I enthusiastically recommend this book. I don't have children of my own, but I bought one copy for my nephew and another for my mother (a devoted reader of books for children). The story is simple enough - a boy who saves his hard-earned money for his grandmother's birthday, but then blows it on a baseball glove and has to come up with a meaningful gift that doesn't cost any money. The clever part of the story is that by being forced to think of what would mean the most to his grandmother, the boy is able to come up with a present that's not only better than any store-bought present, but that allows the grandmother to see him in a new light.

I'm especially happy that Watts doesn't write down to children, instead using a quietly humorous, at times bouncy style that appeals to children and adults, such as this line: "Kenyon's quiet easy glide to freedom was frozen by his grandmother's words." Or this one: "'I'm not sick. I'm just stupid.'" Moreover, the grandmother isn't called something common like "Grandma" or "Granny," but the distinctive "Little Dolly." The reader learns a lesson along with the boy, but what's most impressive about the story is that Little Dolly herself learns a lesson, breaking the standard wise-adult, foolish-kid story line.

I liked the full-color paintings, too, which nicely complement the story with a range of unusual perspectives.

This is not one of those picture books you get sick of reading after one or two times. You'll be happy to read it to your children over and over.