The Quiltmaker's Gift

Gorgeous pictures. If my eyes were stronger I would have spent at least an hour examining all the details in them. I certainly did enjoy the larger ones, for example the soldiers in their pajamas. And I could see some of the little stories in the panels, for example when the king spends a sleepless fretful night because 'although [he] was very good at being greedy, he was very bad at being mean.' Yes of course this is a fable with a lesson, but it's effective and charming, not preachy.

I first read this book with my daughter, maybe 10 years ago. I promptly bought copies for everyone I could think of, every time one of the children in the neighborhood had a birthday. Rereading it this morning I am still stunned by it. A good moment to meditate on the essential truth that things won't make me happy. What sends me over the moon is when I get a chance to help someone, thanks to my quirky gifts.

This book may be a little long, but the story is heartfelt. It is about a selfish king who wants presents and gifts from everybody. The one present he can’t have is a quilt from the lady in the mountains. She only makes quilts for people who can’t afford them. She tells the king give of yourself and I will make you a quilt. The king will not do this. Instead, he punishes the old lady and in turn just punishes himself. This book does have a happy ending and is simply lovely. The illustrations are classic, and so is the story. I see this book being handed down from “maker to “maker as they share the love conjunctions.

This book is an excellent read for all ages. This book about a greedy king and a kind old women prove to us that money cannot buy happiness. There were many things I enjoyed while reading this book. First, I enjoyed the illustrations. The book was so detailed with colorful lines and shapes as the quilt maker sewed her quilts. The As the book goes on, there are small images on each page previewing what is happening next. Each page as so many beautifully drawn images that make the characters look realistic. The second thing I enjoyed was the, characters. The characters were believable and well developed. The author did a great job at making two opposite characters come together to do good. The last element that made this book such a great show more read was the lesson learned. Throughout the book, you question how a kind old women could keep her word to such a nasty king. In the end, you realize that it is what is inside that matters and happiness is worth the most. show less

The truth behind this story is that giving is better for your happiness than taking. The story itself is full of fantastic read-out-loud folkloric vignettes and written in such a way that makes me feel like a storyteller.

The illustrations are incredibly rich and unlike most of the time, are as beautiful as I imagine them. There is a lot of detail, something that children can spend time looking at.

This is also a fantastic gift for quilters. Knowing how much time goes into a hand-made quilt, it's a good way to show that the creation is understood to be greater than the fabric its made from.

This beautifully illustrated Children‘s book includes MANY diverse actual quilt patterns. It is a great folk tale with a positive message. The front and back pieces have hidden pictures to find. Even children too young for an actual plot will find many items to point at. As a quilter I really enjoyed the way quilt themes were woven into the ongoing story line. J Trautwein Snohomish CTA

The Quiltmakers Gift is a beautiful story that talks about greed and giving to others. There once lived an old quilt makers that lived in the mountains that made quilts for the poor. People in the town said her quilts were magic and once the greedy king heard about the quilt he demanded that she makes one for him. The king had every toy imaginable but he still wasn't happy, when the quilt makers told him she wouldn't make one for him he began to get very angry. She made a deal with him that if he gave away all of his things she would make him a quilt. Now at first the king said no and put her in a cave, but the king was having second thoughts about putting her in a cave so he kept moving her to places. He finally gave up and started to show more give away his things and when the quilt maker saw that she began making his magical quilt. Once he had nothing he realized how happy he was and even forgot about the quilt. But she stayed true to her word and gave him his quilt which made him feel even happier with life even though he had nothing. This is a good folktale book because it has a good life lesson of greed and how objects don't equal happiness. show less