![]() ![]() One striking scene is a spread full of seabirds taking off as the girl approaches. The winter landscape and changing sky are carefully depicted with added watercolor textures. Most astonishing are the crabs-who return, in this well-rounded tale, in a shared bedtime story. The child carries a doll, which also wears a knitted cap. The adult’s A-shaped figure suggests possible pregnancy. They dress appropriately for a cold winter walk. The two have pale skin and straight light and darker brown hair for child and adult respectively. Lechuga’s illustrations, done in an appropriately wintry, bleached-out palette, add depth and detail. Later there’s a “Steady step, solid step, shaky step…stumble,” and finally “Swift steps-scamper, scuttle, scurry…shower” before bedtime. “Slow steps-shuffle, straddle, saunter…sand” take the pair to the beach. Pacing is also indicated with ellipses and page turns. The text sits directly on full-bleed illustrations with just one or two lines to a spread, sometimes only a word. Read more closely, it’s a poem with a pleasing rhythm and repetitions and a balanced, grammatical structure (explained further in an afterword). ![]() First, the entire story is told with s-words, adjectives, verbs, and nouns: scruffy, slosh, and, best of all, standstill, as the two beachgoers, an adult and a child, encounter something special. This charming outing delights in many ways.
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