Freya Blackwood

Australian illustrator Freya Blackwood, whose beautifully expressive pencil and watercolor artwork can be found in such titles as Half A World Away, Her Mother's Face and The Selkie and the Fisherman, makes her authorial debut in this sweet picture-book, which, based on the fact that she herself has a daughter named Ivy, seems likely to have been inspired by incidents in her own home life. Here we have a young gift-giver who, in a series of amusing vignettes, attempts to "give" away some things that don't belong to her, from her grandmother's glasses to her father's shoe, only to discover that the recipients, from slug to cat, are less than enthused. Fortunately, the perfect recipient (ie: the original owner) is close at hand, and Ivy can continue to give. Until, that is, she discovers something she doesn't want to give...

With its simple text and charming artwork, Ivy Loves to Giveis an engaging tale of a young girl exploring her world, happily engaged in a game of giving. It is clear that her borrowing of various items, although it causes some chaos in her family, is not seen as destructive, or harmful, although it is also clear that she is meant to return them, eventually. Here is no "youngest sibling allowed to do whatever she pleases," as in Rukhsana Khan's Big Red Lollipop, and so the conclusion, in which Ivy's older sister allows her to keep the tutu she has borrowed, and is rewarded in turn with a gift that truly does come from Ivy, is really quite heartwarming. All in all, a lovely little tale, with a gentle message of family love, and Blackwood's appealing artwork!… (meer)