K-Gr 3 Some big ideas float effortlessly through these sweet watercolor pages: love between grandparent and child; acceptance of mistakes, loss, and change; life's small pleasures; and the life-enhancing gifts of sharing and teaching. Southwestern India, or the state of Goa, is suggested through hints of architecture and color-splashed flourishes of vegetation; the characters sit on the floor, using a vintage floor-desk. A boy and his devoted grandfather grow and give away mangoes and bananas, make paper boats for the village children, and read and paint together. No other family members are mentioned, and though the older man has promised never to leave, "One day, he did." The boy, perhaps ten, is bereft (here, gray-washed spreads prevail), and locks away all evidence of painting. But after some time has passed, a small girl asks him to teach her, and soon the house is again filled with children, colors, and happiness. The boy, readers understand, knows that his grandfather did not really break his promise. VERDICT An extraordinary work for every shelf; subtle and poetically less direct than other works in its treatment of death, this book stands out for the depth of its wise messages, and its gentle, evocative art. Patricia Lothrop

In a small village in India, a boy and his grandfather (dadaji) enjoy growing and selling fruits in the local market together, as well as reading, and making paper boats for the village children to sail down the street during the monsoon rains. Above all else, they love to paint together, and the grandfather often invites the village children to join them. When the grandfather passes away, the boy locks up all of the artwork and painting supplies; they are too painful a reminder of what he has lost. The soft, smudgy pastel illustrations capture the boy's sense of loss by changing from warm colors to muted, dull tones. As time passes and the boy processes his grief, bursts of light and color start to creep back in. When a little girl asks the boy to teach her how to paint, it rekindles his joy and he unearths long-put-away objects, such as his grandfather's best paintbrush. This book honors the complicated feelings of grief while offering hope and solace. The boy comes to the conclusion that the best way to honor his grandfather is by embracing, not forgetting, the things they loved to do together. Sharing his love of painting with others is how the boy knows that "his grandfather will always be with him."

A boy lives with his beloved grandfather, Dadaji, in a “tiny village in India.” They do everything together, but mostly they paint, and their love for the medium draws other children in. Bespectacled, mustachioed Dadaji is an indelible character, exuding grace, wisdom, and a quiet energy; after he departs, the boy locks away all the art materials, including Dadaji’s finest paintbrush, and disconnects from the world. When a girl appears at his doorstep insisting on painting lessons, though, inspiration is rekindled. The boy reconnects with his talents, his love of painting, and, most importantly, the spirit of Dadaji. Via Sirdeshpande’s restrained but deeply empathic narrative voice and Mhasane’s digitally enhanced colored pencil and pastel pictures, which capture light in almost incandescent colors, this proves a moving tribute to the role of mentors and memory in a young artist’s life, as well as to what “time and attention” can bring about. An author’s note discusses the book’s beginnings. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)