THE ONE ABOUT THE BLACKBIRD

A boy’s relationship with his grandfather’s guitar—and his grandfather—changes over time.

“For as long as he could remember, Jack had lived in a house that was alive with music.” The music comes from Jack’s grandfather’s facility with various instruments and from the man’s vast record collection. When Jack expresses an interest in learning to play the song “about the blackbird” on guitar, his grandfather starts by teaching him the basics. Jack eventually masters the instrument. As time goes by, he grows bigger, and the guitar seems to shrink. Eventually, Jack becomes a successful musician, “playing for crowds of people all over the world.” One day, when the adult Jack returns home with his guitar for a visit, he finds that his grandfather’s memory is slipping; now it’s Jack’s turn to be the guitar teacher. Mature-enough elementary schoolers should be touched by this understated heart tugger, but readers of any age will appreciate James’ mixed-media art, centered on a couple of long-limbed, tan-skinned guys who share, along with a love of music, unkempt hairstyles across the decades. Although Florence largely keeps her two-person cast at home (that Jack doesn’t seem to have parents goes unremarked upon), readers won’t tire of looking at them; James sets them against a range of inviting backdrops, including a porch with a scenic view and a living room with shelves of records whose jackets seem to glow.

A hymn to intergenerational ties.