The Remembering Stone

In Sookocheff’s quiet, hopeful story, a girl finds a way to remember her late grandfather after she loses the object that reminds her of him. During a classroom Show and Share, Alice, portrayed with light skin, tells her peers about the perfectly round, quarter-size stone she treasures: it holds dear memories of her grandfather, who taught her to skip stones. But when she reaches into her pocket during recess, it’s gone. Her racially diverse classmates’ attempts to help her find the object turn up plenty of rocks, but not hers. Back at home, her pocketful of their finds, and reflections on her peers’ kindness, inspire a new way to recall her grandfather’s life. Acrylic gouache and graphite images use a cool palette with lots of gray hues, while show-and-tell language reveals the story’s progression and the feeling of comfort to be found in a supportive community. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)