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Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Pebbles to the Sea, written by Marie-Andree Arsenault and illustrated by Dominique Leroux. Translated by Shelley Tanaka. Groundwood Books, 2022. $19.99 ages 5 and up


"We rest for a while at her place. 
It's nice to be surrounded by the 
same houses that are in her 
paintings. You can see 

Maman's house

and Papa's 

a little farther on."

The book opens on a gray world in La Grave, a community on Quebec's Isles de la Madeleine. Papa and Maman are in two different places, and the girls have been told to stay close to both. Flo and Fee want their parents together again. They use pebbles they have painted to create a pathway from the beach, as they wander from place to place so they can be found and followed. 

They cannot see Papa although they know he is always at the marina doing his work. They leave a pebble. As they wander near the cafe, they hear Jean-Marc playing his piano. They share news and make a stop for something to eat. Leaving more pebbles and a few crumbs, they are up and off. They see Francine in her artist's shop where she has paintings of the two houses their parents live in. Finally, they make their way to Henri and his trebuchet which he is using to send rocks into the bay. Henri tells them about the islands they can see. 

Maman and Papa are looking for them. They are carrying the colored pebbles left for them. A surprise created and painted by all of their friends awaits the children on the beach. It is the perfect place for two young girls who connect their parents in ways unseen, but so important. 

"We are the bridge that
connects their islands.

While a marriage break-up can be very difficult, it is handled here in a calm and gentle way that allows the children to realize that life will be okay. The paint-and-collage illustrations are stunning, filled with wonder and constantly attracting attention across the full spreads. The children add their own bright colors to the muted backgrounds in their attempt to bring their parents together. 

It is a story to be shared in a small group, or perhaps with a child struggling to come to terms with a family separation. Quiet, calm, and reassuring. 

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