Witch Hazel, written and illustrated by Molly Idle. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2022. 23.99 ages 3 and up

"In the summer, Hilda helped give 
the music room an airing. The old 
piano bench creaked a bit as Hazel 
sat upon it. 

Hazel creaked a bit, too."

Who knew that an artist could create a heartfelt book of friendship and loss using sepia tones throughout? We might have expected such beauty from the very talented Molly Idle. In this book about young Hilda who helps her aging friend Hazel with seasonal chores, readers are witness to memories being made and shared. 

Hilda is there to hear about past days in Hazel's life. As Hazel dusts those memories off, the color white is added to the pages to show exactly what she is remembering. Hazel's broom creates movement shown on wordless pages that is fascinating to see and sure to draw readers from one lovely page to the next. Her spring memory swirls around Hilda, showing all that Hazel remembers from when she was young and loved to read Peter Pan. The summer memory shows a young woman who loves a bird, and playing the piano accompanied by the bird's lilting song. 

Fall means cleaning cobwebs from parlor portraits and a long story about an even older woman who owned a glass slipper and attended a ball as the belle. In winter, Hazel is bedridden; Hilda tends to her needs and keeps her company. Now, it is Hilda with memories to share ... and share them she does until Hazel no longer has a need for them. 

The following spring brings a change. 

"In the spring, Hilda swept the front porch. 
She brushed the tears from her cheeks ...
and the dust from the steps ... 

... and smiled."    

Lovely, just lovely.