I would like to introduce you to a new children’s book The Red Tin Box. This new children’s book is written by Matthew Burgess and Illustrated by Evan Turk. Which I was blessed to receive a copy of in exchange for this review.
I sat down last night and read the book and I loved the bond between the grand daughter and the grandmother and seeing the adventure they were going on. I will not tell you what or if they found the box because I believe you should read The Red Tin Box for yourself and don’t keep the book to yourself. Share it with everyone you know because it teaches us what unconditional love is.
Like modern-day Miss Rumphius and her promise to make the world a more beautiful place, this luminous story brings the scope of a lifetime into focus for a young reader and fills it with the magic of gifts given and received.
This moving and radiant story of the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter, and the joy and promise passed down between them, begins one quiet dawn . . .
On the morning of her eighth birthday,
Maude buries a secret
at the foot of a flowering dogwood—
and inside it,
a tiny toy elephant,
a marble like a tiger’s eye,
a bird’s nest with purple string woven through the twigs,
and more.
A special box.
A gift, waiting for the right moment to be opened again.
At once lyrical and profound, this enchantingly illustrated book is a joyful celebration of intergenerational relationships and of the secret treasures of childhood. Young readers and adults will delight in the memories and magic tucked away in the red tin box.
REASSURING AND MAGICAL: In these unpredictable times, gentle stories have the power to reassure little ones that the most important things in life are still right in our hands. This beautiful book celebrates the enduring themes of family love, connection, and the power of memory with poignancy and care.
CELEBRATES INTERGENERATIONAL SHARING: The warmth between a grandmother and her granddaughter that this luminous picture book depicts serves as a beautiful model of the little moments that form fond memories and build lasting intergenerational relationships.
EVERYONE HAS A TREASURE: The collection of special objects in this story give a grandmother’s memories and connection to her granddaughter a physicality that even the youngest readers can use their own senses to understand, reinforcing the deeper meaning and mystery each one contains.
A MEANINGFUL GIFT: With gorgeous, color-drenched illustrations and lyrical text that illuminates a message of enduring love, this picture book makes a wonderful gift for any occasion, from birthdays to holidays, and every day of the year.
Perfect for:
- Anyone seeking storytime books that celebrate family connection
- Fans of beautiful and heartfelt picture books like The Giving Tree, One Morning in Maine, and Last Stop on Market Street
- Gift book for new grandmothers, as part of a wishing well basket for baby shower, a birthday gift to a grandchild, or a classroom resource for diverse kids’ books
- Any occasion that calls for distinctive books that will become treasured keepsakes
About the Author
Matthew Burgess is an Associate Professor at Brooklyn College. He is the author of six children’s books: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings (Enchanted Lion Books), The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon (Knopf), Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring (ELB), The Bear and The Moon (Chronicle), Bird Boy (Knopf), and Make Meatballs Sing: The Life & Art of Corita Kent (ELB).
Matthew also has edited an anthology of visual art and writing titled Dream Closet: Meditations on Childhood Space (Secretary Press), as well as a collection of essays titled Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry (TWC). More books are forthcoming, including The Red Tin Box (Chronicle, 2023), Sylvester’s Letter (ELB, 2023), Words With Wings and Magic Things (Tundra, 2024), and Fireworks (Harper Collins, 2024). A poet-in-residence in New York City public schools since 2001, Matthew also serves as a contributing editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
