The Biggest and Brightest Light: The Magic of Helping Others

By Robert D. Reed Publishers
Price $17.95
Age 4-10 Yrs.

This touching picture book is about a six-year-old girl, Amanda, who discovers the joys of helping others. When Amanda learns that her teacher, Dr. Malko, is struggling to pay medical bills for her daughter Elena, Amanda conceives the idea of making and selling Christmas decorations to raise money for them. Amanda gives Dr. Malko a thousand dollars to help with the doctor's bills, and the feeling she gets is wonderful beyond words. As Elena's health worsens, Amanda continues to help. She bakes cookies for the nurses at the hospital. She enters and wins an essay contest that enables Dr. Malko to spend the holidays with her adult son. This beautiful story is given added emotional depth by the fact that it's based on the childhood experiences of the author's daughter, now an adult, who is also the book's illustrator. The emotional bonds inherent in both the story and the evolution of the book reinforce the idea that the spirit of giving is something passed on from one person to another. A CD with songs written for the book is included.