"Peter grew so much that he outgrew his
village and decided to see the world. Peter
packed a smoked-oyster sandwich, a tin of
tea, three pairs of socks and, of course, his
purple sweater. Then away he went, off to
see the world. His grandmother's only
request was that he would send back to her
stories from his travels."
Peter was a little boy when he asked his grandmother if she would make him a VERY BIG SWEATER. He wanted her to be sure that it was 'too big'. What's a grandma to do? Of course, she knit Peter a very large sweater with thick wool. It had sturdy cuffs and a long body. Peter loved how it looked and how it made him feel.
No matter what they were doing together, Peter always wore his sweater. He grew so big that his sweater finally fit him. When he decided to see the world, his adventures took him to unfamiliar countries where he learned about yak herders, shearing New Zealand sheep, visiting the mountains, and becoming fluent in new languages. Though he thought about home, those adventures kept him from returning to it.
When he finally returned to his grandmother's village, many things had changed. The family that now lived next door to his family home included a young boy named Little P. The two loved spending time together gardening, going clamming, and watching the fog roll in. Little P. shared that he wished his grandmother could see him now. Peter felt the same.
As summer turned to fall, Perer put on his beloved sweater and spent time remembering his adventures through the collection of promised letters he had sent to his grandmother. He felt it was time to pass that sweater on ... to Little P. It would keep him warm and one day, it would remind him of home, too.
Dorothy Leung's colored gouache, pencil, and digital illustrations are warm and filled with many emotions, allowing readers to see how adventures may be exciting but home is where the heart is. The Maritime village setting is enticing.
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