"Anna's Special Present" has been my favorite book since i was little. I remember wanting to read it all of the time. I think at one point i had most of it memorized. This book teaches you that as much as you don't get along with your brothers or sisters, you really do love them, no matter what. I have learned that from personal experiance.
It all starts when Anna and her sister Katy are fighting over Emily, Anna's favorite doll. Katy is always stealing it from Anna because she likes it just as much as her sister does. But then, Katy gets very sick and has to go into the hospital. Anna is very upset and scaired for her sister. She tries to think of a way to help her sister feel better. Anna comes up with the perfect way to do that. Read this story and find out about the love, hate, and events that change the characters forever.

Akiko Hayashi is a very popular illustrator in Japan -- clear, engaging pictures with plenty of detail. The story is mainly the parents' remarks as they see the scenes shown in the illustrations, so it makes an ideal read-to. My own children have enjoyed this book in Japanese, and my nephews enjoyed the book itself in English, plus the glimpses into everyday life in Japan. I heard from a friend who attended a talk by the author recently that the pictures show the state of her own house on the day that the illustrator visited to talk about the pictures -- the author had been in bed with a cold while her daughter took advantage of the lack of supervision...