Simple Gifts

In words, pictures, and song, a nineteenth-century hymn continues to delight “’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free.” So begins Simple Gifts, a generations-old hymn written by the Shakers of Alfred, Maine. In that simple community, people based their lives on kindness, trust, and the joys that come when we sing and dance together. In this lush volume, acclaimed illustrator Chris Raschka brings this famous song to life, celebrating animals and landscapes with bold brushstrokes and warm colors. A cat, a rabbit, a turtle, and even the trees appear to dance to the lyrics. After all, sometimes the finest gifts are the simplest ones.

This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration.