I Gave My Mom a Castle

Sylvia Pantaleo is an associate professor of education, specializing in
children’s literature, at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

Each poem in this delightful volume of prose and poetry is about the
giving of gifts. The gifts vary greatly (e.g., worms, fishing rods,
books, castles, melons, love, and attention) and, initially, some of the
poems may seem to have little to do with presents. All of the prose
selections deal with the myriad of emotions associated with giving and
receiving. In her introduction, Little explains how she began writing
about gifts.

The characters in the poems include toddlers, children, teens, adults,
and a variety of living creatures and inanimate objects. Most of the
poems are written in free verse, but others rhyme; some are brief, and
others fill several pages. Some of the poems are witty and humorous,
while others are serious and/or sorrowful. All, however, are insightful
and will elicit a range of responses in readers.

Monochromatic watercolour-and-pen sketches by Kady MacDonald Denton
complement each poem. Some poems are illustrated with a single salient
item, while others have a more-detailed visual that in some way reflects
the essence of the poem. Highly recommended.