The Red Tin Box - by Matthew Burgess (Hardcover)

About the Book

On her eighth birthday Maude buries a red tin box with some special treasures at the foot of a flowering dogwood tree and makes a promise to herself--and many years later she and her granddaughter travel to her childhood home to dig it up and pass it on.

Book Synopsis

Like modern-day Miss Rumphius and her promise to make the world a more beautiful place, this luminous story brings the scope of a lifetime into focus for a young reader and fills it with the magic of gifts given and received.

This moving and radiant story of the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter, and the joy and promise passed down between them, begins one quiet dawn . . .
On the morning of her eighth birthday,
Maude buries a secret
at the foot of a flowering dogwood--
and inside it,
a tiny toy elephant,
a marble like a tiger's eye,
a bird's nest with purple string woven through the twigs,
and more.

A special box.
A gift, waiting for the right moment to be opened again.

At once lyrical and profound, this enchantingly illustrated book is a joyful celebration of intergenerational relationships and of the secret treasures of childhood. Young readers and adults will delight in the memories and magic tucked away in the red tin box.

REASSURING AND MAGICAL: In these unpredictable times, gentle stories have the power to reassure little ones that the most important things in life are still right in our hands. This beautiful book celebrates the enduring themes of family love, connection, and the power of memory with poignancy and care.

CELEBRATES INTERGENERATIONAL SHARING: The warmth between a grandmother and her granddaughter that this luminous picture book depicts serves as a beautiful model of the little moments that form fond memories and build lasting intergenerational relationships.

EVERYONE HAS A TREASURE: The collection of special objects in this story give a grandmother's memories and connection to her granddaughter a physicality that even the youngest readers can use their own senses to understand, reinforcing the deeper meaning and mystery each one contains.

A MEANINGFUL GIFT: With gorgeous, color-drenched illustrations and lyrical text that illuminates a message of enduring love, this picture book makes a wonderful gift for any occasion, from birthdays to holidays, and every day of the year.

Perfect for:

• Anyone seeking storytime books that celebrate family connection
• Fans of beautiful and heartfelt picture books like The Giving Tree, One Morning in Maine, and Last Stop on Market Street
• Gift book for new grandmothers, as part of a wishing well basket for baby shower, a birthday gift to a grandchild, or a classroom resource for diverse kids' books
• Any occasion that calls for distinctive books that will become treasured keepsakes

Review Quotes

"Burgess's detailed text is filled with evocative sensory descriptions. A vivid coppery-red and brilliant golds dominate Turk's palette, and he fills the book with intriguing perspectives and distinctive textures....[a] warm intergenerational tale." -- The Horn Book

"[T]he illustrations hold powerful emotion." -- Booklist

"In a tale of keepsakes hidden and found, Maude embodies the way that a grandparent's love can offer intimacy, authenticity, and a signpost for staying true to oneself." -- Publishers Weekly

An unforgettable ode to intergenerational bonds." -- Kirkus, starred review

About the Author

Matthew Burgess is an assistant professor at Brooklyn College and a poet-in-residence in New York City schools through Teachers & Writers Collaborative. His award-winning first children's book, Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, was a Junior Library Guild selection and an ALA Notable Children's Book. He is also the author of The Bear and the Moon. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Evan Turk is a Robert F. Sibert Medal- and Ezra Jack Keats Award- winning illustrator and author. Originally from Colorado, Evan now lives in Southern California with his husband and two cats.