Jigsaw

Praise

Sandwiched between before-and-after endpaper views of a puzzle scene of anthropomorphic African animals joyfully leaping into a pond, Graham offers an episode as rich and intimate in feeling as it is spare both in words and visual style.
—Kirkus (starred review)

Comedy gold. . . The ending of this beguiling little gem resolves one mystery but leaves another open-ended, cleverly meditating on the way that slow-burn quandaries and jigsaw puzzle time—both of which move in seasons, not seconds—can be conducive to contentment.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Graham’s delightful ink and watercolor illustrations are an integral part of the story. They not only take the text to the next level with fun details and expressions, but in places deliberately and effectively replace it altogether. . . A love letter to jigsaw puzzlers young and old, and a lighthearted reflection on things lost and found.
—School Library Journal

Graham, a master of spinning affectionate stories from the details of ordinary family life (see most recently Ellie’s Dragon, rev. 11/20), here tackles the ubiquitous mystery of the missing jigsaw-puzzle piece. . . . [Graham’s] squiggly, interrupted pen line can render even a pile of wastepaper dynamic, and the cadence of his text makes the ordinary grand. . . Obviously inspired by our stay-at-home lives over the past couple of years, this timely tale is a celebration of wishful thinking.
—The Horn Book