Perfect Gift »

The Perfect Gift is ROHAN HENRY's first book. A young artist of Jamaican origin, Henry teaches at an elementary school and in the innovative program STRIVE-U (sponsored by the University of Southern Maine), which provides young adults with learning challenges access to secondary education. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his wife and baby daughter.

Charming, timeless parable of friendship, in the tradition of Shel Silverstein's beloved stories
The perfect gift for adults and children alike
In the tradition of Shel Silverstein's beloved stories, Jamaican artist Rohan Henry presents a simple and touching story of love and friendship. Leo and Lisa are longtime best friends, and Leo wants to give her that one special gift to show her how he feels. The first leaf of autumn, the most delicate snowflake ever, an exquisite spring butterfly—but none of them endures. So Leo sets off in search of the perfect gift.

With charming black-and-white illustrations accented with a second color, the book conveys its message with simplicity and grace. Rohan has created a timeless parable of friendship that will enchant children and adults alike—and delight anyone who receives this perfect gift.

Children's Literature

Leo Rabbit tells of his efforts to show Lisa Rabbit that she is his best friend. When he brings her the first leaf of autumn, she finds it beautiful, but it is soon blown away. He tries to carry the most delicate snowflake of winter to her, but it melts in his hand. When spring arrives, he finds the most radiant butterfly, but it flies away, so Leo searches everywhere for the perfect gift, but returns with nothing. All Lisa really wants, however, is to hold the hand of my best friend. The hand-printed, simple text is a perfect match for the very simple black line drawings of the appealing bunny pair in this hand-size book. Red-tipped noses and a red leaf and balloon add accents to these otherwise unembellished images and their romantic tale. The sparseness leaves room for the reader to bring personal experiences to flesh out the story. The lesson on friendship is clear and universal. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz