Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. Barbara Smucker. Illustrated by Janet Wilson. Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995. 32pp, cloth, $16.95. ISBN 1-895555-70-1. Subject Headings: Mennonites-Juvenile fiction. Quilts-Juvenile fiction. Grandmothers-Juvenile fiction. Kindergarten - grade 3 / Ages 5 - 8. Review by Margaret Ross.

excerpt:

On the day before they were to leave, Grandmother called Selina into the kitchen. "Come, Child," she said. "Let's spread out the new quilt top. It's almost finished."

Before them unfolded the warm, bright beauty of the matching pieces of cloth that held memories for everyone in their family.

"I am giving this quilt top to you, Selina. Take it to your new home, and when it is quilted, spread it out over your bed. You will think of me whenever you look at it."

Selina hugged the precious gift tightly in her arms.

Children will find this an enchanting story. Not only does it show the love of a grandparent but it shows how gifts have more than material value. Selina must leave her home and travel to an unknown land and she must leave her beloved grandmother. As the excerpt above shows, though Selina is leaving, she takes with her a beautiful quilt made with pieces of her life.