Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s picture books

THE TREASURE BOX

Dave J. Keane Rahele Jomepour Bell

A poignant story about a girl's bond with her grandfather and how it evolves after his death, illustrated by a bright new illustration star.

Searching for treasures with her grandpa is this young girl's favorite thing to do. Every week they examine the items in her secret box and go on walks to find more - a broken robin's egg, rusty spring, even a snakeskin that makes Grandpa squirm and make funny faces.

But then Grandpa is too sick to come. She gets to leave him a few treasures in the hospital, but when he dies, she can't bring herself to even open the treasure box. Then Grandma brings her some treasures Grandpa wanted her to have and they open the box together and continue the tradition, showing that memories of time together are the greatest treasures of all.

As a young boy, Dave Keane kept a wooden box under his bed filled with objects he collected from around his neighborhood. He used that memory for this story about celebrating the time his kids shared with their grandparents. He has written many books for kids, including Who Wants a Tortoise?, Sloppy Joe, and the Joe Sherlock, Kid Detective series. He lives in Northern California and continues to collect interesting things while on walks with his wife Christine.

Rahele Jomepour Bell (rahelestudio.com) is originally from Iran and came to the US to pursue her dream of being a free international artist, and graduated with an MFA in Integrated Visual Arts from Iowa State University. She is happiest creating illustrations that make the imagination travel, take a new look at old ideas, and reaffirm the viewer of their natural place in this world. Rahele lives in Ames, Iowa, with her husband and daughter.

Available products
Book Published 2022-01-11 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Comments

French: Le Genevrier

This closely observed portrait of a shared bond between a grandparent and grandchild explores love and loss... When he dies, Keane expresses the child's grief with restraint - the memorial service is "a sad party you have when someone dies" - and the loss slowly leads to someone new to share treasure with. Keane writes with sensitivity and deep feeling, and Bell's images give the story freshness and immediacy.

... the remarkably intricate, handmade textures fill the characters and scenes with a unique tangibility, reflecting how meaningful and impressionable the times shared with loved ones are... [T]his heartfelt story about the loss of a beloved grandparent plainly names the emotions felt by a grieving young child and seeks to reassure children that family memories can be forever cherished.

...each scene realistically captures the child's experience... Scanned handmade textures, collaged digitally, give the art a distinctive quality that amplifies the beauty of found objects and highlights the warmth between the girl and her grandparents.

...This is a forthright, genuinely kid-centered look not just at the death of a loved one but also the pain of watching them becoming increasingly ill. The girl's simple, observant narration strips the artifice and platitudes from the experience... a welcome reprieve to grieving youngsters tired of adults' euphemisms about death and sadness.

Rahele Jomepour Bell is one of the Winners of the 57th Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair! Her art from THE TREASURE BOX will be featured at the Exhibition; she is the only illustrator from the US whose art was chosen for the exhibition by the international jury. Read more...