Book Review: The Quiltmaker's Gift

Going on 6 or 7 years ago, I was in a bible study with some of my previously mentioned soul friends.  Our fearless leader, who had 3 small children at the time, switched up the study one night by introducing us to The Quiltmaker's Gift.  To this day I remember with great fondness this weekly bible study we shared.  Of all the lessons we read and studied, the one about the Quiltmaker has been embedded in my mind ever since.  Maybe it was the rich illustrations or my personal affinity for children's books that kept it fresh in my mind.  Either way, I knew as I began to jot down ideas for Christmas for Little Miss that she was ready (finally!) to receive this beautiful book.

It had been those many years ago since I had seen and read it, but I knew that she would love it.  Immediately upon opening the gift, she asked me if I would read it to her.  She absolutely adores books and reading . . . it's an activity that is practiced regularly in our home (both together with a reading adult and on her own just looking at pictures and "reading" to herself):

It has been over a week since Christmas passed and she continues to request this book daily.  She asks lots of questions and creeps up onto the pages so much sometimes I can't see the words to read them aloud.  For those of you who have not heard of this book, here is a brief plot summary (taken from the book jacket):

This charming fable for our times celebrates the joy of giving.  A generous quiltmaker, with magic in her fingers, sews the most beautiful quilts in the world, then gives them away.  A greedy king, his storehouse stuffed with treasures, yearns for something that will make him happy . . .  Will the quiltmaker sew a quilt for the king?  Will the king ever learn to share?  Can the quiltmaker teach the king to be happy?  What will the king do with all his splendid things?  Look for clues to the story in the quilts.

For anyone looking for a beautifully drawn story that captures the spirit of generosity and selflessness, check this one out.  (Upon first glance it may seem a bit wordy for a 2 year old, but in L.M.'s case, the elaborate illustrations keep her fixated long after the text has been read.)

What about you?  Any children's books you could recommend that incorporate the arts?  I'm always looking to expand our lil' library here with quality literature.