Once Upon a Memory

K-Gr 2--In this gentle, dreamy picture book, a little boy explores the world around him-past, present, and future-through everyday objects. The text is a lyrical series of questions that play with the concept of memory and origins: "Does a feather remember it once was... a bird?/Does a book remember it once was... a word?" Laden's somewhat esoteric prose is grounded by Liwska's pencil and mixed-media drawings that depict cherubic, round-faced woodland creatures getting haircuts, shopping at independent bookstores, and playing at the beach. Each question sparks an idea, while the illustrations extend the musings into multiple vingettelike stories. A child could breeze quickly through to the end or spend an hour contemplating each spread. Some of the questions may prove too lofty for some young children, though, even with visual prompts. For example, "Does love remember it once was... new?" is accompanied by two images in juxtaposition: an old woman sitting on a park bench with the narrator and a songbird serenading his lady love. A sweet book, if limited in appeal.--Kiera Parrott, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In a quiet poem, Laden (Romeow and Drooliet) guides thinking about the way a cake might "remember" being a field of grain or an ocean might recall its source in raindrops. Her philosophical verse names objects and their origins: "Does a chair remember it once was... a tree?/ Does a garden remember it once was... a pea?" Readers who grasp the link between a statue and a stone may be perplexed by a line about romance: "Does love remember it once was... new?" Liwska (The Quiet Book) pictures two childless birds courting; the next scene, of ducks building a nest ("Does a family remember it once was... two?"), will make more sense, at least for children in mom-and-dad homes. The artist's typically delicate pencil sketches alternate between images of an inquisitive child and imagined scenes of animals at work and at play, underscoring the book's meditative, contemplative quality. Laden's closing question--"Will you remember you once were... a child?"--makes the exercise all the more personal, inviting readers to consider who they might become. Ages 3-6. Author's agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Dec.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for "Once Upon a Memory"
* "A rhythmic poem explores origins, both physical and abstract...Animal characters are tender and genuine. These musings on memory and change are thought-provoking, yet the piece also works as a lullaby. Reflective and peaceful."
— "Kirkus Reviews" (starred review)