Granny and Bean

In this soothing wind-down story, Newbery Medalist Hesse’s lines lull with rhyme and repetition, while mixed-media spreads by Voake (Some Dinosaurs Are Small) follow Granny and Bean on a long walk “in the sand, by the sea, with the sky all gray.” The two, who both present as white, poke along at the same slow speed. Granny wears a yellow slicker and boots, and carries a green bag full of vital supplies; Bean sports a blue raincoat and clutches a long rope of seaweed. Vivid spots of color stand out against the gray water and sky. The two let the water break over their boots (“The wild waves crashed/ and scuttered”), stop to greet dogs, laugh when the wind catches their hats, and still, they don’t go home. Images show them frequently from a distance, the better to see the sweep of sea and sky and distant sailboats. At last they stop for tea (a banana for Bean, and cupcakes), then, having “sorted and kept their best shells and a stone,” head home just as the sun breaks through, returning to the familiar in a book that understands the importance of taking time in the natural world. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)