Already!

I'm one of those people who start Christmas shopping in the Summer. (There are usually lots of sales in August.) So you shouldn't be surprised that I'm reviewing a Christmas book here now.

The Best Kind of String by Janene Dubbeld is a picture book about the joy of giving.

Getting a package all tied up with string (Remember that song about favorite things?) is a pleasure, but making other people happy is an even greater one. And this book lets kids know about that kind of joy.

The book follows children who try to decide what to give to people they love. Each one discovers that showing their love is the greatest gift.

The love that ties people together is the best kind of string.

KC Snider's lively illustrations show kids of various ethnicities giving gifts from their hearts to people they love. And a chain of yarn across the bottom of each picture ties in with the title and theme of the story.

This book will help lots of kids understand that possessions aren't nearly as important as love, and that making other people happy by giving is better than getting. I hope lots of people will give copies of it to kids well in advance of the holidays.