The Gift is a children’s book that tells the story of a child asking his or her parents the question that many parents get from their children: “Mom, dad, how did I come to be?” As readers turn the pages of the book, families from different ethnicities explain to their little one the story of how the child came to be part of their family. In other parts of the book, there are no people in the illustrations, but the beautiful colors and details of the scenery makes it easy for parents and children to identify that part of the world. The book develops as parents answer the curiosity of their child trying to find out how they came to exist? The question is answered in a loving way and from a religious point of view as parents explain to the child that she or he is a gift from God to them. The intention of the book is to start a conversation between parents and children about the fact that the child is a gift to the parent and therefore treasured as member of the family. The book leaves space for writing in the child’s name and birthdate as part of the story so it feels like the story was written specifically for that child. Also, it is safe to say that regardless of the language, race, or even religious belief of a person, the feeling of love and care that parents have for their children is universally understood. There are seven children on the front cover of the book that represent cultures or ethnicities from around the world. They also represent feelings or emotions that parents experience when a child is born like trust, courage, love, joy, patience, kindness and faith. This book is available in hard cover, soft cover and e-book, and also in Spanish with the title “El regalo.”
