Total Pageviews

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

A Stone for Sascha, written and illustrated by Aaron Becker. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2018. $23.99 ages 4 and up


"A wistful walk
along the beach
to gather cool
polished stones
becomes a brilliant
turning point in the
girl's grief."

We know Sascha loved her dog. We see it in the portrait of the two before the story begins. Her arms surround her pet with love ... they are content in each other's company. As we turn to the story, we are witness to Sascha picking a handful of warm yellow wildflowers, then running to embrace her mother while her father prepares to bury her beloved pet with its bone. Her younger brother chases a butterfly. The family watches as Sascha places the flowers on the burial mound, then lets her alone to say a final goodbye.

The scene shifts to the family leaving on vacation. Sascha looks back as the car pulls away, her eyes turned toward the burial site. As her parents begin setting up camp at the edge of a lake, Sascha is seen gathering stones from the beach before throwing them back into the water.

Again, the scene shifts to a streaking comet headed straight for Earth. The next section of this amazing, breathtaking book takes readers back to the time of the dinosaur when the comet crashed and then through time to the present. Each new spread shows 'readers' the many transformations the  remnant of the comet makes as it passes through time. It is quite the journey! Finally, Sascha retrieves the golden stone from the water. With closed eyes, and seemingly at peace, she holds it to her cheek. Once home, it provides a permanent marker on her pet's grave.

Time passes, grief is unmistakable, and memories hold loved ones close in our hearts. There is so much beauty here ... in the wordless storytelling itself, and the exceptional artwork that makes connections through time and place.

https://youtu.be/Kb6EqKOVHKc

                                                                               

No comments:

Post a Comment