A little girl's brother has died. She shares with readers what this means to her. She trys to understand her own feelings and those of her mother, father, and sister, illustrating that there are different ways that people can react when someone they love dies. As the story moves through the girl's experience, it arrives at a question many grieving families face--how to acknowledge the birthday of a child who had died. Although written for the young child, A Birthday Present for Daniel reaches out with compassion and wisdom to all who have experienced the loss of a loved one.