HELLO, SAILOR

In this tale of longing, originally published in the Netherlands, a lighthouse keeper named Matt awaits the return of his friend Sailor. "Each night, he lit the great lamp to guide the ships safely home," remembering Sailor's promise that "I'll come back for you... Then we'll sail round the world together, just you and me." Every day, Matt's neighbors bring him lunch and his mail, but remark that Sailor will have forgotten him by now. Even when Matt throws himself a birthday party, Sailor does not appear. Yet after dark, when the guests have gone home, a solitary man arrives: "Sailor was back!" Readers know what transpired, but the next morning, the neighbors find the lighthouse deserted—without so much as a note or, one might hope, instructions for the lamp. Godon and Sollie leave Matt and Sailor's commitment and relationship ambiguous. Belgian artist Godon's (the Nelly and Caesar board books) lanky characters, with dot-eyes, snub noses and stoical mouths, recall Olof and Lena Landström's visual style; her understated gouaches of vast blue-white skies and sand dunes emphasize Matt's melancholy devotion. The deadpan title may imitate a flirtatious come-on, but this is no salty tale. Matt's wish is fulfilled in dreamlike fashion, and the puzzling conclusion—which offers no evidence of the friends' reunion—leaves the neighbors "waiting for Matt to come home." Ages 5-8. (July)