The Perfect Present

Description

A joyful and beautiful picture book celebrating friendship and sharing Tom and Mot are best friends who share a birthday. Tom gives Mot a feather and Mot gives Tom a marble - and these small gifts open up worlds of brilliantly colourful imagination. From the feather comes the most wonderful bird imaginable. From a tiny marble comes a whole beautiful planet, teeming with life. Outside it's raining, but playing with your best friend in the rain is fun! They ride a dinosaur, sail the seven seas and float through the starry Universe. And at the end of their birthday, Tom and Mot discover what is the best present of all - the perfect present...

Petr Horacek is an internationally acclaimed illustrator. Born in Prague, he studied at the Academy of Fine Art. After graduating in 1994, he moved to England. His first two picture books were published in 2001, winning the 'Books for Children' Newcomer award. Since then he has gained a string of international distinctions. His most recent book for Otter-Barry was The Last Tiger, published in 2019, and longlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2020. He lives in Worcester, England.

"A wonderful celebration of the imagination and the joy of friendship, 'The Perfect Present' is a story to enjoy again and again... The illustrations are wonderful. Tom and Mot's imaginings burst from the page in bright splashes of colour as they drift in space or float beneath the sea, meeting creatures and enjoying the beauty of nature... Another 'perfect present' from Petr to his readers!" * Through The Bookshelf * "This impressive picture book was enjoyed by my seven year old granddaughter who read it with me recently and reflected that it was 'a very important story about imaginative friends with fantastic, colourful illustrations'... When I first saw the cheerful cover of the book by this internationally acclaimed illustrator, I immediately smiled. Who could not be encouraged by the two happy looking cats holding paws as they stand in the tall green grass with bright flowers set against a deep blue sky? There is a beautiful feather floating above the title which we wondered about and were fascinated to see appearing on the gorgeous end papers. So before even beginning the story itself, we were pulled into finding out about its significance." -- Karen Argent * The Letterpress Project * "This beautiful story of imagination and friendship is perfect for sharing." * Achuka (Book of the Day) * "Petr Horacek's vibrant mixed media illustrations radiate the warmth these two moggy pals share in this gorgeous celebration of friendship and the power of the imagination that's perfect for giving and sharing with young humans on any day but perhaps birthdays especially." * Red Reading Hub * "The Perfect Present is a highly creative and charming story with glorious and colourful illustrations. It's ideal for eliciting creative thinking skills in class discussions. For EYFS and KS1 teachers looking for large display ideas, the multicoloured feather in particular will provide a wealth of inspiration." * School Reading List * "This is a beautiful story showing the true worth of real friendship as seen through a child's perspective. Petr Horacek's illustrations burst off the page with their sense of excitement and vibrant colours, drawing you into a magical world where imagination rules. The Perfect Present manages to perfectly capture the feelings of having a best friend, the joy children can find in simple things, and a stage of life when playing and having adventures together rules." * Nursery World * "...This is a gentle and beautifully illustrated story about friendship, love and imaginary play. Families could play the perfect present game too, making exaggerated promises about what they would give each other or imagining that the most every day of objects are actually something amazing and of course talking about the importance of spending time together as the best present of all." * Love My Books - Top 10 picture books of 2022 *