One More Time

One More Time is an exceptional story, one that offers new meaning with each reading. On the surface, the book simply describes a father and son's Sunday afternoon in the park. Like most small children, Simon often asks to do things ""one more time.'' At the end of the day, the pair board a train, where Simon asks his father, ``Is it far?'' Only when they arrive and Dad leaves Simon with his mother do we realize that the boy's parents are divorced; we've been witnessing the bittersweet conclusion of their allotted time together. The phrase ``one more time'' takes on new significance as we consider the meaning it holds for both father and son. The book is not ``about'' divorce; it's just about a divorced family. One senses the strong, positive relationship between Simon and his dad, but the book doesn't skirt the sadness that is part of divorce. It should be a highly comforting book for children in a similar situation. (2-5)