Chinese New Year is a time for visiting relatives and Amy’s mother is missing loved ones who live “on the other side of the world.” Then a package arrives from China containing A Gift (Boyds Mills, 2009; K-Gr 2) for the young girl. In the accompanying letter, Aunt Mei describes how Uncle Zhong unearthed a beautiful stone while plowing his field, Uncle Ming polished and carved it until he released the dragon he saw hidden inside, and the siblings fashioned the piece into a necklace for their niece.

As a result of this thoughtful act, Amy and her mother are lovingly reminded that family members can remain close even though they live far apart. Yong Chen’s earth-toned watercolors accompany the spare text, depicting the two main characters as well as the action in China. An endnote provides further explanation of the cultural traditions highlighted in the story.

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