Bunge, who made a remarkable debut as the illustrator of Fritz's Fish
, proves she's a double threat with this eloquently written story of youthful ingenuity and enduring love. When the young narrator arrives at his grandparents' house for his usual weekend visit, he finds Grandpa on the curb amongst his belongings; the couple has split up. "We're just so different," the two older people each confide in the boy as he helps them set up their separate households. (Grandma finally gets to paint everything blue, while Grandpa covers his walls in red.) But when the elders' respective euphoria gives way to depression (Grandma's chocolate pudding has the salty tang of tears, while Grandpa sleeps too much and stares out the window), the boy takes matters into his own hands. He knits a long, flowing red-and-blue scarf for each grandparent, and sends it off with an anonymous invitation in hopes of recreating their first date—iceskating. While the plot may sound a bit like The Parent Trap
, Bunge evinces a far greater sense of complexity. Her ink-and-watercolor paintings, at once austere and fanciful in icicle hues, continue to mark her as a singular talent and as a keen, restrained observer of messy emotions. And the narrator is a wonderful creation: while his scarf-driven plan has a nice hint of super-heroism, his powers of observation and insight, as well as his ability to play confidante, feel utterly authentic. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
