SPENDIN' TIME

A child’s visit to his grandparents offers a vibrant window into a predominantly Black community in Canada.

Soon after arriving, the young boy sets out with Granddad to pick up items Nan needs to make dinner. They pause to pick berries and to fish in the lake for trout; when the child inquires about Nan’s list, Granddad tells him they’ll get to it later, but “for now we’re spendin’ time.” After a break for a sweet treat (“A little ice cream won’t spoil dinner”), they stop at the farmers market. Riding home, Granddad points out places from the past—a clearing where he chopped wood and picked flowers, the basketball court where he shot hoops with friends. Darkness has already fallen by the time they return home, greeted by the smell of Nan’s apple pie; as the youngster tells Nan, “Granddad and me, we were just spendin’ time.” Like the protagonist, readers will feel entirely at home. Bell makes masterful use of light, letting it wash over swirls of green leaves, bright florals, birds mid-flight, and the warm pastel sidings of houses. Her impressionistic images shimmer, while Gray’s text has an easy, folksy rhythm that mirrors Granddad’s own relaxed attitude; this is as much a love letter to grandparents as it is to Preston, Nova Scotia, where Gray spent time with his own grandparents.

As warm and nourishing as apple pie.