View source for The Best Present Ever! by Neil Griffiths and Melanie Siegel

{{infobox2
|title=The Best Present Ever!
|sort=Best Present Ever!, The
|author=Neil Griffiths and Melanie Siegel
|reviewer=Anne Thompson
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781908702067
|pages=28
|publisher=Red Robin Books
|date=October 2012
|aznuk=1908702060
|aznus=1908702060
|cover=1908702060
|website=http://www.cornertolearn.co.uk/neilgriffiths.html
|video=
|summary=This is a colourful picture book telling a happy story about a kindly King and Queen and the search for the best present ever to celebrate the arrival of a new baby. 
}}
Long ago and far away lived a kind and generous King and Queen in a land where everyone was well treated and happy. One day the Queen tells her delighted husband that she is to have a baby. The King decides that his lovely wife deserves the very best present ever to mark the happy event. So begins a search by the King’s messengers throughout the country and across the world for the perfect gift for the Queen. Beautiful gifts are brought to the palace from all over the globe for the King to inspect. As he is about to select the ''best present ever'' a poor young fisherman arrives and incredibly the gift that he brings might be exactly what the King is looking for!

Although very current in appearance this book has a traditional, almost fairy tale, feel to it. The story is a happy one and the characters are sympathetic and kindly. The King is wise too and in making his decision he ensures that no-one is disappointed. Young children will enjoy this jolly tale where everybody lives happily ever after but it would also be a good starting point for discussion about the importance of kindness, generosity and how it is not always sensible to judge things by initial appearances. For this reason it may be a useful book for school libraries too. The story could also help to introduce little ones to the arrival of a new baby in the family. The bright and colourful illustrations add to the enjoyment of the story and have a current almost cinematic feel to them. This is definitely a book with the feel good factor.

Thank you to the publishers for sending a copy of this book to the Bookbag. 

Neil Griffiths has written several picture books for young children including [[Don't Invite Dinosaurs To Dinner by Neil Griffiths and Peggy Collins|Don't Invite Dinosaurs To Dinner]] If you would like to read another story about presents arriving from unlikely sources I can recommend [[The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle]]. 

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[[Category:Neil Griffiths]]
[[Category:Melanie Siegel]]