The Third Gift

by Jan R. Carew

Book Overview

The first two gifts from their leaders made the Jubas a strong and beautiful people, but the third gift was the best of all. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316128473
• ISBN13: 9780316128476
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Inspiring

A tale that shows the creativity and productiveness of a people who appear to be African through the eyes of Jan Carew. This story should be re-printed for classroom usage. The lessons taught in attaining a leadership role is valuable for all children.

Forever Favorite

My mother met Jan Carew on an airplane in the 1970s. When he heard she had a child, he told her he had written a children's book, "The Third Gift". Several weeks later, a signed copy arrived at our house, and I still have that book over 30 years later. The illustrations by the Dillons were the first thing that endeared this book to me. As I got older, the story only became more and more profound, with implications rippling from from village to country to world. This story is both simple and noble. I will always have a copy of this book in my collection.

An inspiring tale with lush colorful illustrations

To escape a drought, an aged "black prophet ... who was the leader of the Jubas," leads his clan of herdsmen to the foot of a mountain to settle. After the prophet dies, the new leader is the young man who climbs to the top of the mountain and returns with a gift. Through this practice, with each generation, the people gain Work, Beauty, and finally Imagination, prospering in their permanent home. The illustrations alternate between shades of gray and rich, rainbow colors with clean lines and abstract shapes. This book gives me goose bumps, from the language, the illustrations, and the message. The language of the story is complex and exotic, using words like palaver, libation, gloaming (which I had to look up!), ocelot, and orchid. Phrases like "stranger-trees" and "fore-day-morning" give the sense that we're reading a translation from an oral narrative, poetic and in touch with nature. I think this would be a popular read-aloud book. The Dillons' illustrations are reminiscent of the slightly-psychedelic style of the 70's with solid blocks of color. Unfortunately, the book doesn't offer any insight into the source of this tale.