ODDS AND ENDS

A young collector reveals the contents of a treasured scrapbook.

Clad in overalls and beret, with jet-black hair, a light-skinned child has a unique lens on the world: noticing “lasts.” Narrating in the first person, the youngster begins with “lasts that are firsts,” e.g., “the last moment in Mommy’s tummy.” The design is pleasantly varied. Isolated images illustrate some of the categories: a melting snowman, a final letter from a friend, the last piece of chocolate. Jumping in puddles with Great-Grandma (who can’t remember the last time she did that) fills a double-page spread. There are moments of humor: a bug-infested sausage whose time has passed. Other scenes are poignant: “the last time sleeping between Mom and Dad” before growing too big. Children will pore over this Finnish import, identifying with some experiences (not wanting the dregs of candy at the bottom of the bag), perhaps curious about others (being the last one to enter a sauna). Soft, textured black-and-white panels mingle with an atmospheric watercolor of a sunrise or a series of intricately patterned mugs. Hurme’s skillfully rendered art and thoughtful text capture the range of emotions children experience, while helping them reflect on their feelings and observations in new ways. She provides space for wondering: about who the flowers are for in the “Very Last Lasts,” then about what lasts readers have found.

Children will open this one again and again, smiling, thinking, soaking in the beauty, feeling respected and understood.