A Gift from Daniel: Ready-to-Read Pre-Level 1 (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood)

“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Gift From Daniel,” by Maria Le, with poses and layouts by Jason Fruchter, starts off with Daniel and Miss Elaina playing together. Soon, Miss Elaina gives Daniel a toy robot as a present. This makes Daniel very happy, but he also doesn’t know quite what to do since he wants to give Miss Elaina a gift in return and doesn’t know what is the best option. When his mom lets him know that he could make something instead of finding something he already has, he jumps at the idea. Paper and crayons go a long way as Daniel makes a special present for Miss Elaina and soon brings it to her. As they start playing together again, Daniel lets readers know how special homemade gifts can be, encouraging readers to try it out for themselves.

The story is short and sweet and perfect for young readers just starting out. It showcases the themes of friendship, giving, kindness, and creativity. Daniel and Miss Elaina are a great example of two friends who just want to make each other happy and sometimes go out of their way to make that happen.

A GIFT FROM DANIEL is a sweet early reader with a holiday theme. Daniel Tiger and Miss Elaina are enjoying playing together when Miss Elaina tells Daniel she has a gift for him. Daniel also really cares for Miss Elaina, so he wants to give her a gift too. He talks it over with his mother because he cannot decide what he can give her. His mother suggests he makes her something. Daniel creates a paper trolley, and she loves it! The book concludes with saying that homemade gifts are extra special.

What I loved: This is a sweet Christmas-coded story about gift-giving. While the characters do not specifically say Christmas, the wrapping is red, green, and gold, and the weather is wintery. This actually makes it work for several occasions with a sweet message about giving gifts from the heart. The ultimate storyline of making a gift and the special nature of homemade gifts is perfect for children who may not go to stores but can create something at home that others will love to receive.

The book includes images from the show with lots of great color and details to keep attention. The text is large and printed in white rectangles that will help with early reading. While this is a pre-level ready-to-read book, children who are learning to read can follow along easily with the large font and may be able to read some of the words along the way. The book uses simple and repetitive language to aid in the learning process.

Final verdict: A GIFT FROM DANIEL is a charming early reader about giving from the heart that will work well for preschoolers who are beginning to learn to read.