The End Is Just the Beginning

Beginning with “THE END,” this thought-provoking picture book uses the phrase as an exercise in altering one’s perception about conclusions. While a child initially questions a book that starts with its ending, the book’s narrator, a caterpillar, reassures readers: “Prepare to have your mind blown... the end isn’t really the end. It’s just the beginning of something else!” Examples of this lens-change follow: sunset is the end of the day but also the beginning of the night. A rocket ship blasts off and reaches, Bender writes, “the end of the sky.../ otherwise known as/ the beginning of outer space.” And “the end of a mistake.../ is just the beginning/ of learning something new.” Throughout, gauzy, gently hued mixed-media scenes by Mayo show an ethnically inclusive group of children experiencing various beginnings and endings. Readers may well guess the words on the final page of this forward-looking volume, which is just right for readers anxious about finality. Ages 3–7. [em](Apr.) [/em]