Jan R. Carew

Summary:
The Third Gift, as told by Jan Carew share a cultural story about a African tribes named the Jubas and their journey to a new land. After this journey the tribe experiences several changes in leadership, each resulting in a new contribution to the culture of the tribe. The pages of this picture book are illustrated by dark abstract depictions of the Jubas tribes story.

Personal Reaction:
The first time I read this book it did not capture my attention until I read several pages. It wasn’t until I started to see the theme that I became interested. This story does a good job of emphasizing the importance of understanding that people and groups of people have dynamic needs. Also, this book reminds us of how young people can make contributions to their culture.

Extensions:
1. This book could be used to introduce a social studies lesson that covers the geography of Africa. A teacher could ask students to read this book while studying the different regions of Africa and the people who live in those regions.

2. This book could be used to teach students the elements of a story. There is a point in the story where a young man is lost for several days. This point of the story could be used to teach students the effectiveness of properly using climax.… (mehr)