The Silver Button

At the same moment that Jodie’s baby brother takes his first step, a city’s worth of moments unfold in a masterful picture book from Bob Graham.

At 9:59 on a Thursday morning, Jodie draws a duck. As her pen hovers in the air, ready to add a silver button to the duck’s boot, her little brother Jonathan pushes to his feet, sways, and takes his first step. At the exact same moment, their mom plays a pennywhistle in the kitchen, a man buys fresh bread at the bakery, a baby is born, a soldier says good-bye to his mom, a granddad and granddaughter play with leaves in the park, a blackbird finds a worm. . . . From an ordinary scene of an apartment strewn with child’s artwork and toys to a bird’s-eye view of a city morning pulsing with life, Bob Graham celebrates a whole world-vision in a single moment, encouraging readers to stop, observe, and savor the world around them.

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many award-winning books for children, including A Bus Called Heaven, How to Heal a Broken Wing, and April and Esme, Tooth Fairies. He lives in Australia.