See You Next Year by Andrew Larsen (review)

A young girl recounts the pleasures of an annual vacation at the same beach-front motel, including swimming, digging in the sand, concerts in the park, writing postcards home, bonfires on the beach, and making new friends. The details of the girl’s experience may seem a bit mundane to kids who favor more energy and action on a summer trip, but the girl clearly appreciates the simple familiarity of events. The short sentences of the narration, each printed on a separate line, are crisp and accessible: “On Thursday my new friend and I have nothing to do. So we dig a hole. We want to dig all the way to the center of the earth. We don’t quite get there. But we hit water.” Stewart’s illustrations are strikingly composed and colored, with each spread utilizing a restricted palette, the hues of which change from scene to scene. A picture of the girl on the motel balcony at twilight, for example, features deepening shades of blue, accented with the pale yellow of the motel’s artificial light (highlighting the balcony and the girl) and the black of shadows and vegetation, while a smudge of coral at the horizon indicates the just-set sun. Slightly splotchy texturing of the landscapes and backgrounds and thick outlines of some figures give substance to the elegant compositions. Stewart also rarely depicts the girl from the front, instead giving viewers the same perspective (almost) as the girl herself. Use this along with Perkins’ Pictures from Our Vacation (BCCB 7/07) in summer- or beach-themed storytimes, or share it as a prelude (or postlude) to a similar summer getaway.