The Best Present Ever

By Zoë Foster Blake & Lucinda Gifford
Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

All children adore presents and here is a catalogue of imagined perfect gifts – ranging from magical creatures to candy-filled swimming pools. Obviously money, time, space, local government guidelines and bylaws are irrelevant when imagination runs wild.

A young person comes up with the best present ever but something happens each time to make it unobtainable, whether it be a wicked wizard going ZAP! or a gang of possums eating all the candy in the swimming pool. The list goes on.

The final gift is a timely reminder that the best gifts come from the heart, don’t need to be fancy or complex. Unfortunately it also seems rather pedestrian in comparison with all the previous magnificent ideas.

The illustrations are wonderfully zany, over the top, bursting with colour, words in large font, and action all over the page. A great cover starts the story which continues on the front and back endpapers with plenty of mayhem in between.

Children will enjoy all the fun and parents and teachers can use the book as a discussion starter about gifts and giving.

Puffin 2024
Zoë Foster Blake
Lucinda Gifford