Odds and Ends

A pale-skinned, dark-haired young narrator presents a literary volume of “lasts” in Hurme’s affecting picture book. Via a scrapbook-like presentation, evocative moments are organized into categories such as “lasts that are firsts,” “long awaited lasts,” “nail-biting lasts,” and “last chances.” Examples include the mundane (“the last pair of matching socks”), the transformative (“the last time sleeping between Mom and Dad”), and the profound (“The last moment in Mommy’s tummy”). Accompanying each idea is a dainty sketch rendered with faint detailing—some in grayscale, others washed with color. The final collection, “very last lasts,” offers a piercing portrait of the many ineffable moments that make up a life. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (May)