In a Jar

Llewellyn, a stumpy white rabbit with stand-up ears, meets Evelyn as he gathers sunset light that's "the color of tart cherry syrup." He collects all kinds of precious things and keeps them in jars ("buttercups,/ feathers,/ and heart-shaped stones"), and now he has a friend to help. He and Evelyn (she's a rabbit, too) spend several happy seasons assembling treasures until Evelyn tells Llewellyn that her family is moving. "Llewellyn's heart felt like an empty jar." Then he works out a way to share new wonders with Evelyn even though she's far away. Thin, spidery lines trace the outlines of the eccentric collection of jars and their contents: "rainbows,/ the sound of the ocean,/ and the wind just before the snow falls." Color and scale add drama as the two small rabbits wander amid a sea of pink and red tulips and gaze at their own elongated shadows. Miniature panels of experiences and objects offer the charm of snow globes. Marcero (Rosie and Crayon) provides a metaphor for the importance of capturing fleeting moments, and an image of a friendship that overcomes separation. Ages 3-7. Agent: Danielle Smith, Lupine Grove Creative. (Jan.)

PreS-Gr 2—Marcero (My Heart Is a Compass) applies her considerable talents here to the art of collecting. Llewellyn is a young rabbit who saves treasures in jars that he places on shelves. At first, these items are fairly typical of young gatherers: leaves, shells, heart-shaped stones. It is when he arrives at the shore on a night "the sunset painted the sky the color of tart cherry syrup"—and when he meets Evelyn—that the collections become more interesting. He gives a jar with the "cherry light" to his new friend, and it "glowed through the night with the memory of that sunset." Marcero's pencil, watercolor, ink, and digital compositions display a marvelous sense of pattern within exquisite spreads. A scene with dozens of white birch trees is enlivened by hundreds of yellow and orange leaves, presented as single entities. As the seasons change, pink tulips in various shades dot a deep green field, moving closer together as they recede in the distance. Insets in a range of combinations and sequences focus on details and are sometimes shaped like jars; these show the progression of wondrous phenomena and experiences the duo share: snowball fights, firelight, ducklings, and thunderstorms. Then, Evelyn must move away. Throughout the narrative, sensitive pacing; understated but lovely language; and creative imagery combine to convey the deepening bond and the pair's way of connecting when presented with physical distance. VERDICT An enchanting examination of the pleasure reaped from cultivating imagination, friendship, and memory.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library