GORDIMER BYRD’S REMINDER

Delicate, pale pictures and finely crafted language show an offbeat life tinged with sadness. Gordimer Byrd works in a factory. Day after dreary day, he pecks perfectly spaced dimples into thimbles, all the while dreaming of magic objects that could make life more interesting. One day walking home, he finds “a magic pebble. He knew it was magic because he had never in all his life seen this pebble before.” He tries every method he can think of to release its magic. When nothing works, he strews his closetful of saved un-magical objects all over the lawn and fashions them into a reminder to stop believing in magic. The final sculpture is an off-page wonder: Gordimer’s friend Olivia finds it “delightful” and “curious.” Readers don’t see it, but Gordimer has apparently made his own magic. The achievement is emotionally releasing—Monday morning, Gordimer’s back at the gloomy factory, but with a slightly improved outlook. Weinstock’s mournful, touching illustrations use cool, muted hues. A quiet treasure for a quiet reader. (Picture book. 4-8)