Over the Shop by Jonarno Lawson (review)

Lawson, Jonarno Over the Shop; illus. by Qin Leng. Candlewick, 2021 [48p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536201475 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-8 yrs

Lowell's General Store, the focus of this wordless picture book, has seen better days, and it's little wonder it gets few customers, considering its overall shabbiness and the crabby demeanor of its owner, a grandparent raising an upbeat little girl. The owner puts an "Apartment for Rent" sign in the shop window, doubtless in hope of an additional income stream, and a number of prospective renters inquire, only to be driven off by the utter neglect of the boarded-up rooms. Just as the sign is about to be withdrawn, a young couple shows up and the granddaughter encourages one last attempt at the lease. This couple sees possibilities in the forlorn space; rolling up sleeves, mustering cleaning supplies, and welcoming the assistance of the little girl, they tidy and repair the apartment, and do a bit of spiffing up of the downstairs store at the same time. As the building comes back to life, the customers return. The neighbor next door paints his entryway, kids play in the cleaned-out side alley, a smile slowly lights the face of the owner, and as the renters help out With loosely rendered line and gently mottled texture, the watercolor scenes of the building's transformation are fascinating and uplifting, a tribute to the partnership of optimism and elbow grease. Careful viewing reveals another layer to the story: the grandparent's gender, as well as that of the lanky, short-haired half of the affectionate renter couple, are deliberately ambiguous, and the rainbow flag that flies over the window of the resurrected store invites a multiplicity of audience responses, perhaps the foremost of which will be how viewers seek and/or assign gender to characters in illustration. There are no words here to advance an authorial message, but the silent narrative attests to the common weal of a diverse community.