The Blue Stone: a journey through life by Jimmy Liao.

A blue stone is resting for thousands of years in a forest, until humans come and split it in two.  The half that is carried out of the forest longs for its other half.  The stone is made into one sculpture after another.  Each time deep emotion is felt around the stone, it breaks a little, remembering what it has lost.  With every breakage, it becomes smaller and smaller, going from huge sculptures to a small piece of jewelry.  Eventually, the stone becomes small enough to lift into the air and float back to its beloved forest and its other half.

Liao’s illustrations are glowingly colored and deeply felt.  The use of blue for the stone is perfect, especially when it hides below other colors in the sculpture, non the match for the intensity and beauty of the stone itself.  The text is rhythmic and repeating the refrain of breaking and changing and continuing.  The tie to life’s passage and loss is inherent to the book.  Children will understand it immediately even though nothing is firmly stated except in the subtitle.

This is a gentle winner, not to be shared with a rowdy group.  Rather, it is the perfect book for introspective moments.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.