ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Finding a friend might be easier than it seems.

Vera lives in Russia, on the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula; Lucas lives in a small town on the coast of Chile. They reside on opposite edges of the world, in desolate locations by the Pacific Ocean; both long for a friend with whom they can share their days. This uniquely designed work, translated from Russian, allows readers to choose which character’s life to explore first. They can follow Vera on a typical day of playing with Mukha the dog and making a sekretik, a “little secret treasure,” or they can flip the book over to accompany Lucas on a day playing soccer and reading. A yellow line drawing of the friend whom each hopes for accompanies both children throughout the rich, stylized illustrations. For both, the day culminates in a trip to the beach, where they stand at the shore with a flashlight and transmit a greeting in Morse code, hoping to befriend someone beyond the edge of the world. Despite the physical impossibility of their messages reaching anyone, they each receive a response. The book is formatted so that Vera’s and Lucas’ flashlight messages make up the hinge of the book, linking the two stories and forming the beating heart of this sweet, whimsical tale of loneliness and connection against the odds. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will spark joy and inspire.