Do You Remember?

K-Gr 3--The eyes on the book jacket tell it all, capturing the bluish-gray irises of a young boy clearly in retrospect. Readers' minds are transfixed by the world of this boy, wondering what thoughts are behind his eyes, while their hearts prepare to engage with the book's characters. The panels within the book frame the thoughts of the mother and son in bed remembering times gone by. The pink words on a page chronicle the mother's precious, unforgettable memories of their family; additionally, the son's words in blue express his response to her specific memory, which in turn, allows him to articulate one of his own. The picnic with Dad, the new birthday bicycle, and moving to a new city renders a story of loss of items and loved ones, and genuinely embraces a new beginning. The story flows from frames to full-page art, denoting life's ebbs and restorations. Mother and son choose the sensible response to loss; remembering the good times enables them to move forward with hope. The last image of the boy's eyes expressing new memories are on the horizon as the sunlight brightens a new day. The author delicately and triumphantly creates a book worth remembering, with a relatable topic for families and school-age children who also may be suffering loss. VERDICT Although not a happy or popular topic, the subject matter and time of year make this more than worthy of consideration. Readers and listeners alike will be heartened by the lesson of using memories from the past to envision dreams for the future.--Tanya Haynes

Smith (My Baba's Garden) opens this story of remembrance as a pale-skinned adult and child awaken, lying next to each other, open-eyed in the dark. As the pages turn, limpid dialogue and tender, light-filled vignettes show the two taking refuge in shared memories. "Do you remember," the adult begins, "when we had a picnic in the field?" Sunny scenes show the child searching among daisies "for snakes and bugs" while the sun shines down on the two and a bearded father. A page turn reveals an unexpected prize found by the youth: a handful of wild berries. The duo share more memories--the child learning to ride a bicycle, a rainstorm that knocked out the power--before moving closer to a present in which the father no longer seems to be around ("Do you remember... leaving our home behind?"). Without freighting this portrait of change with context, Smith reveals the two creating a new memory for themselves: the first morning in their new home ("We could smell the bakery from across the street"). It's a loving familial portrait that envisions intentionality around the process of memory-making. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary. (Oct.)