You know the story of the Three Wise Men of the East, and how they travelled from far away to offer their gifts at the manger in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of the Fourth Wise Man?

Long ago in the city of Ecbatana, high among the mountains of Persia, there lived a man named Artaban. From a tower at the end of his beautiful garden Artaban used to study the secrets of nature, especially the secrets of the night sky. One spring night, he and his three friends, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, noticed a new star rising, which shone more brightly than any they had ever seen. They knew that this star signified the birth of a great teacher and they agreed to follow the star and pay homage to the child.

Artaban made preparations for a long journey, taking with him a ruby, a sapphire and a pearl to give to the King of Kings. He was to meet his companions far to the east by the Temple of the Seven Spheres, at Babylon. But on the way, he stopped to help a dying man and so arrived late at the temple. With his friends already departed and desperate to see the new born king, Artaban had to set off across the desert alone, on a journey that would take him far longer than he could ever have imagined.

Based on a text by the Victorian writer Henry Van Dyke. The Greatest Gift is a magical children's story about one man's search for truth. Susan Summers' narrative is illustrated with a spectacular series of watercolours by Jackie Morris.

From the dust jacket