I realized one page into reading this to my 9- and 11-year-old that I had made a mistake. While I was very familiar with the first story, it was clear I never was exposed to the O. Henry original version and my kids had a hard time following along (although my 11-year-old recognized the story). Since I just broke it out as a Christmas read, I didn't subject them to the Purple Dress - but I read that later and enjoyed it. I also quite enjoyed the illustrations for both stories. ( )

O. Henry’s writing never seems dated and its impact doesn’t diminish with time. The meaning of the gifts in the first tale exhibit the true meaning of love, when each gives up the the thing most precious in order to purchase a gift for the other. In the second tale, much the same sentiment is shown, but this time between friends. One girl gives the last of her money, earmarked for a special dress, to a friend for rent. She then decides against going to the dinner, not having anything special to wear. Again, this tale has that unique O. Henry twist that really makes the story remarkable. ( )

Received this as a family gift on Christmas Eve from a dear friend, who knew that we'd all love the design-y vibe of this edition. And we did. Plus, it had been decades since I'd read either of these O. Henry stories, which was far too long. A perfect edition to share with Z. ( )

O. Henry's classic tale of the sometime cost of giving gifts, The Gift of the Magi is the story of a couple almost too poor to afford their small apartment, and who each sell their only prized possession in order to afford a Christmas gift for the other, only to discover that their gift was intended to accentuate the others prized possession, which neither own anymore. It's a touching tale that illustrates the importance more of your loved ones in your life than your possessions.

The Purple Dress is an even shorter story, and tells the tale of a young girl who dreams of her new purple dress that she is having made to wear to her upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. When the time comes to put the final $4 down on her dress, she discovers that a friend is in need of exactly $4 so that she is not evicted from her apartment, so she sacrifices her $4 and her new dress for her friend. However, in the end, she is rewarded for her kindness to her friend.

Both stories are told very quickly and to the point and O. Henry doesn't mince words. As my first experience with O. Henry, it doesn't make me want to rush right out and pick up another volume, but I won't go out of my way to avoid him either. I wasn't that impressed with the accompanying illustrations by Chris Raschka. All I see is splotchy watercolor marks and chunks of fabric that are supposed to be people and the city; it's all representational art, but I think it just looks messy in most cases. ( )