Our Pebbles

Jarvis (The Boy with Flowers in His Hair) describes a beloved ritual shared by a grandfather and grandchild, narrating in the younger’s voice as the duo make their way “through the Wonky Woods and down that path.” Shown in bright colors and a childlike scrawl, the two, portrayed with pale skin, climb over a stile, “where Grandad always said, ‘Careful you don’t hit your head on the sky.’ ” Arriving at Pebble Beach, the two choose a rock apiece; settle into an abandoned boat on the shore, The Jolly Dancer; and use their paintbox to decorate pebbles that they add to an ever-growing assortment, shown from above. When Grandad moves away, change begets more change, and it’s the narrator’s turn to take someone else to the favorite spot. Later, the pebble collection remains, to be seen and remembered: “I don’t often go to that beach anymore, but when I do, I visit our pebbles. A little faded, but still here.” Musing on the pleasures of appreciating both a place (“Nobody knew the beach like us”) and one-on-one time with a loved one (“Silly old Grandad”), this sweetly elegiac work traces the way delight can become memory. Ages 3–7. (June)