How can you help a child understand about the beauty of sharing? Here is a short story that teaches this life lesson in a fairy-tale format. A giant returns from a 7-year stay with his ogre friend to find that children have overtaken his garden. He banishes them from his garden, only to find that winter overtakes it permanently. One morning, the giant awakes to the sound of spring. He discovers that the children, who found a whole in the wall, have gotten back into the garden. Spring has returned in their wake. One little boy, however, wants to climb a tree in a corner of the garden where it is still winter. When the giant sees the little boy crying, what do you think he will do? You will have to read the story to find out how and what causes the giant to change.
This book combines one of my favorite stories with one of my favorite illustrators! The quote above my kitchen window comes from this story: "I have many beautiful flowers, but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all."
I especially love the imagery of the little boy, who symbolizes the Savior. From this story, it is easy to understand how we can change when our understanding changes first. The Savior helps our understanding change to a correct perception (such as how sharing, and not selfishness, brings joy) our behavior can follow. This story illustrates that magical moment of heart and mind united in understanding.
Note: You can read the text of this story on the internet. I grew up listening to this story as a book on tape, with Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Morning Mood playing in the background.
(London: Neugebauer Press Publishing Ltd., 1984)
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