The Thank You Letter

As Grace’s birthday approaches she creates a (very long) list of all of her desired gifts, and soon receives every item she asks for (in one way or another), perhaps to the chagrin of most parents of children with long lists. She then proceeds to write thank you notes for all of her gifts . . . and then continues until she has touched the entire town with her letters. While the title may have readers searching for the thank you letter, no one note stands apart from the rest (apart from the gimmicky thank you note directed at the reader which ends the book on an unfortunate low note), but focuses rather on the butterfly effect kindness can have in a community. Cabrera’s signature acrylic paint and collage illustrations (with the inclusion of envelope insides!) are delightfully fun and full of quirky details (such as the little boy dressed up like a piece of bread), that add character and vigor to a story lacking in plot and finesse. While it may not have sufficient pull to draw readers in for frequent re-readings, in an era when hand-written thank you notes have by and large gone the way of the dodo, this book is a lovely reminder of the beauty and value in expressing gratitude promptly and sincerely the old-fashioned way.