The Spoon

A spoon passed down through generations belies an extraordinary history in this work of family legacy. A young protagonist, this story’s narrator, sets the table as Mama makes soup. When, “next to my plate, I put that spoon,” Mama scolds, “That spoon isn’t for soup.” Using the spoon to dig holes for pumpkin seeds, and to bang pots, the child again is told to use another. Soon, the protagonist explains, “My great-grandmother brought the spoon with her when she fled the war. She didn’t bring much else. That’s why it’s so important.” Left to sit in a drawer, though, the spoon’s disuse bothers the narrator. “Grandma says the spoon holds our stories. It reminds me of a shell that carries the sound of the sea.... I wish it could talk so we could set the record straight.” Siemens’s reflection on a family heirloom interrogates an object’s utility and value, while Lozano’s perspective-shifting b&w drawings with limited spot color contemplate a future in which the spoon—and its history—are out in the open. Character skin tones reflect the white of the page. Ages 5–7. (Nov.)