Addy's Cup of Sugar: based on a Buddhist story of healing by Jon Muth. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October, 2020. 9780439634281. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
A young girl named Addy loves a kitten named Trumpet. The two are inseparable until Addy moves to a new house and poor Trumpet gets hit by a car. Devastated, Addy calls for her friend, Stillwater and begs him for medicine to bring Trumpet back. Stillwater gives Addy an empty measuring cup and asks her to bring back a cup of sugar. The catch is, that it must be from a home "where death is a stranger." Addy hurries out, intent on carrying out her task, only she finds in house after house, that the inhabitants have all lost someone dear.
In an Author's Note, we learn that this lovely story is based on "The Mustard Seed," a Buddhist legend about the grief of a new mother, who lost her infant. The shimmery watercolor spreads beg the reader to linger. Sharp-eyed young readers will spot Trumpet in a few. Stillwater's comforting presence and sad, patient eyes add to the appeal of this lovely contemplation of loss.
Addy's Cup of Sugar is absolutely stunning. Surely a must-read.
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