The Silver Button - Softcover

Graham, Bob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1536201448 ISBN 13: 9781536201444

Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA), 2018

Synopsis

At the same moment that Jodie's baby brother takes his first step, a city's worth of moments unfold in a masterful picture book from Bob Graham.

At 9:59 on a Thursday morning, Jodie draws a duck. As her pen hovers in the air, ready to add a silver button to the duck's boot, her little brother Jonathan pushes to his feet, sways, and takes his first step. At the exact same moment, their mom plays a pennywhistle in the kitchen, a man buys fresh bread at the bakery, a baby is born, a soldier says good-bye to his mom, a granddad and granddaughter play with leaves in the park, a blackbird finds a worm. . . . From an ordinary scene of an apartment strewn with child's artwork and toys to a bird's-eye view of a city morning pulsing with life, Bob Graham celebrates a whole world-vision in a single moment, encouraging readers to stop, observe, and savor the world around them.

About this title

Review:

This is an elegant piece of living theater, something into which readers can nestle and observe. ... A book to bathe in, reminding readers that something magical is happening every instant.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In his inimitable, deceptively simple style, Graham celebrates what can happen in a single moment and reminds readers to pause and observe. ... While the story is minimal, there is a lot to see and absorb. The detailed pictures bear repeated inspection, the characters are appealing, and the story is very child-oriented. This unusual offering will enhance collections and work equally well in classrooms or one-on-one.
--School Library Journal (starred review)

In this quiet, thought-provoking picture book, Graham marvels at the myriad things that transpire in a moment's time. ... Graham deftly depicts an array of perspectives in his signature ink-and-watercolor artwork...The understated sentences gently encapsulate moments that are mundane, melancholy, and joyful, encouraging readers to ponder all that might be happening in the world at any given instant.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

[F]amiliar, homespun artwork and simple observations... [A] slightly older crowd will have the sense, even if they can't put it into words, of both how big yet particular the world is, and what a wondrous thing it is that everyone is a part of an infinite whole.
--Booklist

Graham, always a gentle observer of the quotidian, regales audiences with a steadily zooming-out cross-section of city life to illustrate the millions of events packed into a minute. Graham's prose is both simple and quietly lyrical, with a focused present tense that enhances the book's encapsulation of a moment, while his signature line and watercolor illustrations with their gentle hues and rounded features enhance the tenderness of this tale.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

It's rare for such an admirably simple children's book to suggest so much that's profound. "The Silver Button" is indeed something very special, a book that speaks to the old and the young at their own levels, but says the same thing to both.
--The New York Times Online

This sensitive picture book celebrates the synchronicity of one precious tick of the clock.
--The Wall Street Journal

Graham perfectly synchronizes the four-vignette sequence that echoes the opening... All of the meticulous details of this family's warm household fall away to focus on this one life-changing minute. Graham simultaneously illustrates how each life is the sum of these fleeting moments, and how important it is to pay attention so as not to miss them. Bravo!
--Shelf Awareness Pro

About the Author:

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many award-winning books for children, including A Bus Called Heaven, How to Heal a Broken Wing, and April and Esme, Tooth Fairies. He lives in Australia.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1536201448
• ISBN 13: 9781536201444
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Graham Bob