Jigsaw Mystery in the Mail

Serendipity and positive thinking come into play as a family searches for a missing puzzle piece in Bob Graham’s enchanting story with a sweet surprise ending.

“Oh, let’s do it!” say Kitty and Katy and Mom when a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle mysteriously arrives in the mail. “I have time on my hands,” agrees Dad. Starting in winter with the edges, by autumn they’re almost done, only to discover that one piece is missing. Mom is sure that it must have accidentally gone out with the trash, so the Kellys pile into the car to comb through the local dump (“shouldn’t take long”). There they uncover forgotten letters, train tickets, discarded newspapers, and old photos yellow with age, but finding the missing piece is starting to seem like wishful thinking. “Let’s wish, then,” says Katy. As in all of Bob Graham’s work, the beauty here is in the details, with visual perspectives that offer a bird’s-eye view or take us underfoot, wordless sequences letting us in on a secret. Is it sheer luck—or perhaps the power of hope—that creates an ending to the story?

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many extraordinary and critically acclaimed books for children, including “Let’s Get a Pup!” Said Kate; How to Heal a Broken Wing; April and Esme, Tooth Fairies; The Underhills; Max; Maxine; and Ellie’s Dragon. Bob Graham lives in Australia.