Dear Mr. G

by Christine Evans, Gracey Zhang (Illustrator)

Overview

A gentle and moving story about an intergenerational friendship between a young child and their neighbor told through a series of letters, for fans of Ida, Always.
When Jackson’s soccer ball accidentally lands in his neighbor’s rose bush, he thinks he’s ruined Mr. Graham’s roses forever. So he quickly writes a letter to Mr. Graham that blossoms into a marvelous friendship. Jackson writes letters, highlighting the everyday moments to make them feel larger than life, and Mr. G keeps writing back until the very end of his life, encouraging Jackson to live each day to the fullest.  
 
This breathtakingly beautiful epistolary story shows the strength of letter-writing and intergenerational bonds. The text is accompanied by tender and evocative artwork to remind us that even as seasons change, our loved ones always stay in our hearts. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454944171
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	165,514
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Christine Evans is the author of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist and Emily's Idea. She is a British expat living in California with her husband and family. She invites you to visit her at pinwheelsandstories.com.

Gracey Zhang is the illustrator of The Big Bath House, Nigel and the Moon, and The Upside Down Hat. Her debut author-illustrator book, Lala's Words, was the winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award. She received her BA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She invites you to visit her at graceyzhang.com.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2023

Expressive, assured ink and wash artwork by Zhang (Nigel and the Moon) creates a sense of close community in this story told in correspondence between a child and an older neighbor. Each letter appears adjacent to a backdrop of the events it describes, starting with an apology that arrives with a plate of scones. Jackson, a child who cues as East Asian, has kicked a soccer ball into the yard of Mr. Graham, who reads as Black. “I was trying to score my tenth goal of the day,” Jackson’s note explains; “I hope your roses are okay.” Mr. Graham sends a response inviting Jackson over for a rose-pruning tutorial, and the two, plus Jackson’s mother, are shown conferring over pruning shears. Next, Jackson sends a birthday card; Mr. G. responds with his own birthday wishes, plus memories from when he was Jackson’s age. Letters help the now-close duo keep in touch when the older man moves to a care facility and Jackson takes charge of the roses, even as the blooms’ annual wintering portends a bigger change in both their lives. Evans (Emily’s Idea) shows how written words can help grow friendship in a story that underscores an intergenerational bond’s many gifts. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2024 Crystal Kite Honor Title

“This book will encourage children to explore unlikely friendships, as well as introduce the topic of grief and loss. It could also serve as an introduction to the benefits of pen pal friendships, from the perspectives of both parties . . . . A moving tale that touches on topics of patience, love, and loss. A worthy purchase for all libraries.” — School Library Journal, starred review 

“Zhang’s art beautifully illustrates the warmth of their bond, the passing of time, and the ache of loss . . . . A tender, vibrant portrait of intergenerational connection.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Poignant . . . . A sensitive, unusually oblique addition to the shelf of books aimed at helping young people cope with loss.” —Booklist

“Expressive, assured ink and wash artwork by Zhang creates a sense of close community in this story told in correspondence between a child and an older neighbor . . . . Evans shows how written words can help grow friendship in a story that underscores an intergenerational bond’s many gifts.” —Publishers Weekly

“This moving picture book is told through a series of letters between two neighbors.” —BookRiot

From the Publisher

★ 03/24/2023

K-Gr 3—Jackson, a seven-year-old boy with black hair and tan skin, and his senior neighbor, Mr. Graham, who has dark brown skin, form a cross-generational friendship told through letters and pictures. The opening pages start with a tone of forgiveness, as Jackson apologizes for kicking a ball into Mr. G's roses. From there, Mr. G teaches Jackson how to tend the roses in his garden, and they find commonalities between their life stories. Through pictures, readers see Mr. G being transported to an assisted living facility while using a wheelchair, as Jackson agrees via letter to take good care of his roses in the meantime. In the end, the rose bush dies, and Mr. G sends one final letter of comfort to Jackson explaining that they will bloom again, and that "they're always there, even if you can't see them." It's clear that Mr. G dies as well. The illustrations use a soft palette, and watercolor medium, to accompany the gentle nature of the story. With storytelling conveyed primarily through letters, Evans is able to emphasize that there are always things we share across generations and cultures. This book will encourage children to explore unlikely friendships, as well as introduce the topic of grief and loss. It could also serve as an introduction to the benefits of pen pal friendships, from the perspectives of both parties. VERDICT A moving tale that touches on topics of patience, love, and loss. A worthy purchase for all libraries.—Katherine Forsman

School Library Journal

2023-01-25
The friendship between a young child and an elderly neighbor as told through their letters.

After kicking a soccer ball into Mr. Graham’s rose garden, almost 7-year-old Jackson sends an apology letter accompanied by a batch of scones. What starts with an accident blooms into a friendly back-and-forth correspondence about soccer, sweets, and the care of roses. With each small moment and thought shared, their friendship grows, and Mr. Graham fondly becomes “Mr. G.” Even when the neighbor moves to senior housing, the friendship continues. Jackson’s family transplants the roses to their yard and takes on their care; the two keep in touch via letters, and Jackson even visits. By nature of time and age, the correspondence must eventually cease. Jackson, however, learns a long-lasting lesson: Roses will bloom time and time again. With care and heart, Evans’ epistolary tale centers on a neighborly and intergenerational bond. Zhang’s art beautifully illustrates the warmth of their bond, the passing of time, and the ache of loss. A colorful palette and evocative strokes of the brush bring energy to Evans’ gentle and moving narrative about Black-presenting Mr. G (later portrayed using a wheelchair) and tan-skinned Jackson. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A tender, vibrant portrait of intergenerational connection. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews