Keane, David. The Treasure Box. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2022. 978-1-984-81318-3. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.
A young girl enjoys collecting found objects outside and sharing them with her grandfather. She keeps them in a special wooden box with a latch. When he comes to visit, they look over the items and often go out looking for more. Her grandfather’s health goes into a decline, and eventually he is hospitalized. One day her parents share the sad news that her grandfather has died. At the funeral home, the young girl looks at the pictures of her grandfather when he was young and says her goodbyes. At home, she does not open the treasure box because she knows it will make her sad. After a while, her grandmother, now alone, comes to visit. She gives her granddaughter some things her grandad wanted her to have from their treasure hunts: his blue cap, his magnifying glass, and his watch. Grandmother and granddaughter share their grief as they examine the contents of the box. Eventually the pair goes out hunting for new objects together. Bell uses scanned textures and digital collage to create warm, touching, and engaging illustrations. This technique allows the items to stand out, especially on the page with the snakeskin and the parachutist. The message from this moving story is best summed up on the back cover- “Time with grandparents is the greatest treasure of all.”
THOUGHTS: This picture book handles the experiences of loss and grief in a sensitive way that is accessible to young children. It shows that the connection between grandparents-grandchild remains strong even after death. This is a must-have for all elementary libraries.
Picture Book Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member
