"Grandpa taps his watch
and says it's time.
We go for a walk to see if
we can find any treasures.
We collect things in his little blue hat.
Grandpa finds a rusty spring and a
doll's lost arm. I find a dirty marble
and cracked-open robin's egg."
The bond between this little girl and her grandfather is strong and loving. She starts her story by telling the reader that she is 'always on the lookout.' What she finds, she puts in a secret box she will share with her grandpa at his next visit. She waits in anticipation for Grandpa and Grammy to return.
After tea and a chat, the two sneak away upstairs. Grandpa always has his magnifying glass to provide a close look at all that has been collected. They enjoy it enormously. Then, they are off on another of their treks for treasure. The walk takes time and patience. They both like it that way.
Grandpa's poor health prevents a further visit. Her opportunity to spend time looking at the treasures holds memories of their happy moments together. Finally able to make a short visit to her grandparents, the little one shows the two new things she has added to the box.
"He likes them so much,
he cries a little."
Their next visit is at the hospital where she doesn't get a real chance for a visit, as Grandpa is sleeping. She leaves a few treasures to him know she has been there. When Grandpa dies, she goes to the memorial with her parents and says 'goodbye to Grandpa in my heart'. It takes time to deal with the loss, and sadness keeps her from opening her treasure box. When Grammy comes to visit, she has some special gifts from Grandpa for her granddaughter. A new search can now begin.
Sensitive in the telling, and gorgeously illustrated with art that was ''done with handmade textures and collaged digitally', this is a story that opens a door for discussion about the loss of a loved one. Having such memories of time spent together is perhaps the best treasure of all.
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