JIGSAW

Assembling a large jigsaw puzzle that arrives from parts unknown gives the Kelly family months of pleasure—and a final challenge.

“ONE PIECE IS MISSING!” A fruitless search of the house and some hard thinking by Mom lead to the conclusion that it must have gone out in the trash—which sharp-eyed readers will already know, having followed the tiny but brightly colored bit in previous scenes from floor to vacuum to trash can and out to the sidewalk for pickup. So the Kellys head for the recycling center and sort through a towering mountain of love letters, tickets, cards, and old newspapers. “Shouldn’t take long,” says young Katie with impressive optimism. “It’s waiting around and will find us again,” agrees Dad. And, against all odds, the piece does find them, making its way home after the family’s long, discouraging search on the sole of Dad’s boot. Now how will Katie and little sister Kitty send a thank-you note to the puzzle’s anonymous sender? Sandwiched between before-and-after endpaper views of a puzzle scene of anthropomorphic African animals joyfully leaping into a pond, Graham offers an episode as rich and intimate in feeling as it is spare both in words and visual style. Human figures in the informally drawn, often wordless scenes are light-skinned throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A celebration of small miracles and the hope that makes them happen.