There's a quote from one of my favorite grown-up books, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, that I immediately thought of when I picked up this picture book several months ago. It's along the lines of wishing that we could bottle up memories just like perfume. The memories would never become stale or faded, and any time we wanted to live them again all we would have to do is simply open the bottle and voila! The magic of memory is at the heart of In a Jar by Deborah Marcero. Llewellyn, a little white rabbit with wonderfully big ears, is a collector. He collects pretty ordinary things in jars like buttercups, feathers, and stones. One day Llewellyn meets Evelyn and together they begin to collect extraordinary things like the sound of the ocean, rainbows, freshly fallen snow, and all of the things they do together (See where I'm going with this memory connection?). Sadly, Evelyn moves away and Llewellyn is left wondering if they can continue their magical collection and their friendship from afar. If I could wallpaper my apartment with Marcero's illustrations I would. Everything is bright, vibrant, and textured from the fields of flowers to the forests to the shooting stars that Llewellyn watches at night. This book will make you think about the best moments of friendship, and sharing experiences and memories with those you love. It's sweet, magical, and worthy of a place on your TBR list. Look for my Staff Pick sticker on the cover the next time you're visiting the Library!
