The Thank You Letter

by Jane Cabrera (Author)

The Thank You Letter
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Encourage young readers to express their gratitude with this sweet story of a girl's thank you letters. . . . and her town's overwhelming response. After her wonderful birthday party, Grace sits down to write thank-you letters to friends and family for all their lovely gifts. But why stop there? She writes to thank Mr. Jones for teaching her to read and write. She thanks her dog for his waggy tail. She even thanks the sky for being so perfectly blue. This sweet story about the power of gratitude encourages young readers to write their own letters, and share their joy with friends, family, and loved ones. For anyone who has ever wanted to encourage children to write thank you notes, Grace's sweet letters and the joyful way everyone in town receives them is the perfect, gentle lesson, and models how to respond to all kinds of gifts--including the intangible ones. When Grace returns home after delivering her notes, she finds a wealth of affection--cards, letters, and notes from her neighbors and friends, expressing their love for Grace and appreciation for her letters. A beautifully illustrated gatefold page shows how deeply her letters have touched the hearts of everyone around them. Beloved storyteller and illustrator Jane Cabrera's vivid and textured acrylic paintings are filled with joyful cuteness and warmth. Collage elements, including patterns from the inside of envelopes, smartly add to the epistolary theme. This delightful celebration of mindful thankfulness and community togetherness is perfect for curling up in a cozy spot and sharing one-on-one.
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School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--It's Grace's birthday and she celebrates it on a gorgeous day with a costume party, complete with games, treats, and presents. The next day, Grace is eager to express her gratitude with a series of handwritten thank you notes for all of the gifts she's received. However, Grace does not stop there. She writes thank you notes to her cat, objects in nature, and people in the community as well. Grace's notes appear all over town, touching people's hearts and brightening their days. Soon, Grace receives the very best gift of all--love notes from all those who were touched by her missives. This beautifully illustrated picture book for young children is a great lesson in communicating appreciation and gratitude. The illustrations, created with acrylic paint and collage, predominantly display Grace's handwritten notes on notebook paper surrounded by the objects and people of Grace's affection. The bold use of color is alluring and the overall feel of the book is one of great joy. The text is descriptive and uncomplicated and the story moves at an energetic pace that will keep young readers engaged until the very end. VERDICT A love story about kindness and gratitude that serves as a good reminder for the young and the young-at-heart.--Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"the animated art style, with deeply textured acrylic colors in invitingly warm colors and cheery scrapbook paper collage, buoys the effort. . . . who can't use a gentle nudge to remember manners?"—Kirkus Reviews


"Cabrera mixes Grace's own childlike handwriting and drawings with the book's sweetly simple illustrations to charming effect. . . . This cute, over-the-top story would make a great segue into lessons on letter writing or good manners."—Booklist


"This beautifully illustrated picture book for young children is a great lesson in communicating appreciation and gratitude. The illustrations, created with acrylic paint and collage, predominantly display Grace's handwritten notes on notebook paper surrounded by the objects and people of Grace's affection. The bold use of color is alluring and the overall feel of the book is one of great joy. The text is descriptive and uncomplicated and the story moves at an energetic pace that will keep young readers engaged until the very end. A love story about kindness and gratitude that serves as a good reminder for the young and the young-at-heart."—School Library Journal
Jane Cabrera
Jane Cabrera is a designer and fine artist, as well as the author and illustrator of almost 60 books for children. She specializes in fresh reimaginings of nursery rhymes and fairy tales; Publishers Weekly has said "her style exudes the joy of creation." She lives beside Dartmoor National Park in South Devon, England.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823451722
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
July 20, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV039200 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Manners & Etiquette
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Gratitude
Thank-you notes

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