Sylvester’s Letter

PreS-Gr 2–Sylvester needs to send a letter to his G.G. (“Greatest Grandma”), but it can’t be sent the usual way. His plan to mail it involves skydivers, a speeding train, and a brilliant swarm of butterflies. As the narrative recounts Sylvester’s wildly elaborate ideas and the subsequent text of the letter, readers will come to understand that his grandma has died. The prose is spare yet poignant, deftly crafting a picture of all the little ways G.G. was special to Sylvester, from her expertise at imitating a dove’s cry to the particular way she would enjoy a slice of cake “a la mode.” Vivid illustrations rendered in bold marker strokes capture the story’s varied moods, including a brightly colored gatefold that opens to an exuberant, marvelously detailed depiction of Sylvester’s grand ideas, followed by pages in somber shades after Sylvester realizes his plans won’t work. This poignant journey through grief resolves on an uplifting note as Sylvester receives a sign that his message got through after all, and he decides to pursue a new skill to honor G.G.’s legacy.