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Miniver, William

Driftwood Days

48 pp. | Eerdmans | October, 2019 | Trade ISBN 978-0-8028-5370-7 $17.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Charles Vess. Emphasizing nature's cyclical patterns, this picture book opens and closes "under autumn leaves" where, sitting high in a tree, a boy watches a beaver build its dam. When a branch breaks away, the river rushes it "down / down / down" until it is blocked by a boulder. There it remains, frozen in its "cold bed" for the winter. Spring returns, the river thaws, and the branch continues its journey, eventually floating out to sea, where it serves as an "oasis" for seabirds and a perch for gulls and cormorants. After a brief stint on a fishing boat, the branch drifts closer and closer to the shore, finally landing on the beach, where it is found by the same boy. But it's no longer just a branch: weathering the long journey and elements has turned it into "hard and smooth and beautiful" driftwood. For the boy, it's treasure. A pen for writing in the sand, a pirate's sword, a sandcastle wall, and, upon the return of autumn, a reminder of the "driftwood days of summer." Rendered in soft colored pencil and ink, the illustrations hum with a gentle energy matching the text's rhythmic and lyrical cadence. Double-page spreads and panels work together, highlighting the movement of the branch through the river, amidst the vastness of the sea, washed up on the shore. The author's note, explaining the importance of driftwood in the ecology of rivers, oceans, and beaches, is like the story itself--simple, informative, and heartfelt.
Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

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