One day Raymond sees a young woman smile with pleasure when she is given a gift of flowers. When his mother falls ill, Raymond decides to grow her some flowers from seeds, to help her feel better. But
One day Raymond sees a young woman smile with pleasure when she is given a gift of flowers. When his mother falls ill, Raymond decides to grow her some flowers from seeds, to help her feel better. But his mother returns to the hospital before the flowers bloom. Soon the flowers begin to die, and Raymond thinks his present is ruined. To Raymond's surprise, the seeds on the dying flowers attract a flock of colorful birds to his mother's bedroom window, bringing back fond memories of her childhood and providing a present more perfect than anything Raymond had planned.
•Winner of Lee & Low's New Voices Award Honor, Raymond's Perfect Present captures the innocence of a child's love for his mother as he struggles through a difficult time.
THERESE ON LOUIE made her picture book debut with Raymond's Perfect Present, an honor winner in Lee & Low's New Voices Award writing contest. The story was inspired by both her own and her husband's childhood experiences. She has a masters degree in elementary education and currently teaches ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Louie lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her family.
SULING WANG has an engineering degree from Stanford University and an illustration degree from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She has illustrated three books for older readers, but Raymond's Perfect Present was her first picture book. Wang lives in San Francisco with her husband.
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