The Best Gift for a Best Friend in Charming Picture Book

Young readers will relate to this charming picture boo because everyone has a chance to choose a gift for their best friend's birthday. Alana Tyson's Devin's Gift is an adorable picture book and story with a life lesson on choosing the best gift for a best friend.

Devin and Luke are best friends. They do everything together. They have been best friends since the first day of school and Devin feels that he must choose the perfect gift for Luke's upcoming birthday. They have climbed trees together. They have hunted for buried treasure together. The have shared lunch together in the school cafeteria. Everyone has advice for Devin with the problem of choosing the best gift for Devin. Devin visits the toy store and must decide what to buy. Grandma had the best advice for choosing a gift. She advised Devin that choosing the best gift depends on all of the things that you know about the person who will receive the gift. That makes Devin's decision easy. He finally chooses the perfect fit for his best friend. The gift is a hit. The choice of a gift is a surprise.

Ebony Glenn contributed her talents as an illustrator for Devin's Gift. The illustrations are colorful and engaging for young readers.

Devin's Gift is recommended for ages 4-8. It was published by Philomel, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-52573-9.

Teachers who teach in early education classes will want to add Devin's Gift to their classroom library. Teaching the life lesson of knowing your best friend is an important lesson for young children to learn. Young children will relate to the idea of choosing a gift for someone and the birthday party that Luke will have. Sharing is also a part of the life lesson that Devin learns.

*Read Devin's Gift in a story time session. Call attention to the fact that Devin and Luke have been best friends since the first day of school. Engage children in a discussion of who their best friend is. Devin and Luke do many activities together. What kinds of activities do your students do with their best friend?

*Provide drawing paper, crayons, and markers for children to draw themselves with their best friend. Display the pictures in the classroom for Best Friends Day.

*Engage children in a discussion of what kind of gift they would choose for their best friend. Devin knows his best friend very well and finally knows what to choose for the birthday gift.

*Provide an opportunity for children to organize a toy store in the dramatic play center in your classroom. Invite children to bring a favorite toy to place in the toy store. Provide a time for children to engage in dramatic play in the toy store. Provide shopping bags for the store.

*Provide an opportunity to set up a birthday party in the dramatic play center in your classroom. Choose a student each day to be the birthday child to engage in the birthday party in your dramatic play area.

*Call attention to the fact that Devin chose a doll for his friend. Invite the boys in your classroom to play with dolls in the dramatic play center in your classroom.

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Alana Tyson worked in journalism after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Brooklyn College and her master of arts degree from the University of Maryland. She began her career in national security and authored her first children's book, My Red,White, and Blue. She is the winner of the Lee and Low New Voices Award for her first book.

Ebony Glenn is a talented illustrator with many children's books to her credit. She enjoys creating engaging illustrations with happiness featured in a light-hearted way.