The World to Come

Contemplating the presence of ancient cycles, Macfarlane (The Lost Words) and musician Flynn supply the incantatory lyrics of their song-turned-picture book. Sutton (Betty and the Mysterious Visitor) pictures a pale-skinned parent and child across time, taking many walks along a river while “wondering, wondering..../ Conjuring, conjuring.” As delicate textures weave through tapestry-like spreads of watercolor, pencil, and collage, the duo gaze up at a tree full of birds: “Waiting for/ the lick of the wind// And the rising sun/ draws a kiss from the birdsong.” They find wisdom in a blackbird “singing through the rising dark/ singing of the world to come.” Spread by spread and season by season, the child grows into adulthood; soon they’re as tall as their parent, and carrying a child of their own, while the blackbird continues “singing as the river flows,/ Singing with the hope that grows!” It’s a rhythmic celebration of the natural world that visualizes miracles repeating over a long span of time—and rewards those who stop to notice them. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 1–5. (Nov.)