This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
Illustrated by Mariko Tamaki
Published by First Second on May 6, 2014
Caldecott Honor 2015
Printz Honor 2015
Summary: "Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other." -- From Goodreads
I picked this book up after I learned it had won a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor. It's pretty extraordinary for a book to be able to be an Honor for both medals, so I knew I had to move this book to the top of my reading list.
The pictures are gorgeous. The water scenes are layers and layers of purple with bubbles of white. The water scenes alone could win many awards. I felt something was lacking when it came to the writing of the story. There were many things that felt unresolved to me. I wanted Rose to find out more stuff about her mom and the boy from the convenience store.
Overall, definitely pick this book up for the illustrations. They are stupendous.
Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my library.
