Dedicated Review
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 4, 2013
A Remnant Surprise
By Vanessa Roam
Paperback: 24 pages
Reading level: 2-6 years
Accolades: Gold Mom’s Choice Award
What to expect: Family, Kindness, Quilting
Debut author Vanessa Roam has stitched together a loving and feel-good story of three generations and how they are brought closer together through the acts of kindness and giving.
Great-Grandma wants to make quilts for each of her thirty-five grandchildren and great-grandchildren that “God put into her life.” As old age can do, Great-Grandma’s hands are too weary to quilt for so many (“She also knew that there was not enough time to sew thirty-five pieced quilts.”), so she thoughtfully settles on making solid colored “comforters of love.” Her great grandchildren, Gretchen and Walter, are thrilled to sit by her side and help with simple tasks. Unbeknownst to Gretchen, it is the simple task of collecting remnant fabric that turns out to be the most intricate of surprises. Just like the well-known saying, “good things come in small packages,” sometimes it is the unexpected event that yields the most eye-opening experience; and, in the case of this story, those “comforters of love” may still yield a quilt. With a color illustration at every page turn, readers are easily able to imagine the setting and the characters that Roam has so lovingly created. Her choices of words are delicate, yet flowing and easy enough for young listeners and beginning readers.
A famous writer, J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan) once said: “Those who bring sunshine to others cannot keep it from themselves.” Ultimately, it is this lesson of compassion and the unconditional love that one can only receive from family that will undoubtedly win over readers and their caregivers—grandparents and parents, alike.
For more information, visit: http://www.vanessaroam.com/a-remnant-surprise.html
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Read our interview with debut author Vanessa Roam.
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