You almost always want to give the gift here, because you get to take the card after they draw -- and being able to cast the card you make them discard is amazing
Cinderella, Stouthearted is a knight in full armour with adorable heart detailing, Gaston becomes an Intellectual Powerhouse as he maps out a plan and one of my absolute favourites shows Winnie the Pooh as a magical Honey Wizard
It has just one Strength and two Willpower, plus a single quest value
Just like the rest of your deck, your commander must follow the deck-building rule if you're going to use a companion
If you add Capable Fighter, I would also consider Robin Hood, Champion of Sherwood that offers more Shift flexibility and more options to gain lore
The mana base works fine without Arid Mesa, and Monastery Mentor can easily become Young Pyromancer if you dont have a copy