Treasure

May 15, 2019
From tiny discoveries to one big treasure, the natural world delights at every turn. In simple yet engaging dialogue, two children set out on a treasure hunt, through a meadow and a wood, in search of something "shiny and mysterious and precious...and always hidden." The younger one finds a feather ("not shiny enough"), an acorn ("not mysterious enough"), and a milkweed pod ("not precious enough"); all while they play in the grass and trees around them. Ready to give up, the younger child is sure they'll never find the too-well-hidden treasure, but the tenacious older one takes a few steps more. At last, they discover something truly shiny, mysterious, precious, and hidden, which won't fit in pockets but instead will live on in the memories of these young explorers. Softly muted, colorful illustrations feature treasures big and small to discover on each detailed spread. Perspective changes throughout, with close-ups, faraway landscape spreads, and a lovely look down at one child's feet immersed in water as the two children hold hands. The children are depicted nearly constantly in motion, with the older child's long, black hair often flowing sideways in the wind. (Both have pale skin and straight, black hair.) The companion French title offers a superb translation (also by Messier), with its own lively phrases--perfect for building language skills in young readers. A gentle exploration, using a child's words and told at a child's pace, of a marvelous world. (Picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Two siblings take a long walk through nature in search of a treasure. Along the way the younger sibling points out many possible treasures and wonders what her sister is looking for. Her sister tells her, "a treasure is shiny and mysterious and precious. And the best treasures are always hidden." Readers will appreciate the magnificent reveal. Messier has created a dynamic tale that shows the importance of opinion, but that also captures a wonderful sibling dynamic. The text and vocabulary are easy to read and understand, with certain key words repeating in order to make young readers question the idea of treasure. It is also simple to tell which child is speaking, which makes it easy on older readers to change character voices. Luxbacher has created some fantastic illustrations that highlight the adventure the siblings are going on, the beauty of nature, and the intricacies of each treasure. These illustrations also add a sense of time to the tale, sometimes simply existing without text in order to show how the siblings are interacting with nature. The French translation adds a bit more personality to the siblings through the simple phrases, highlighting the children's wonder of the world around them. However, Messier and Luxbacher have created a vivid adventure that leads right to a shiny, mysterious, and precious treasure in both French and English. VERDICT An excellent read-aloud to teach children how one person's treasure may be different from another's, but that they are both still important.-Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL

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