Do You Remember?

As they settle into their new apartment, a young boy and his mother trade memories of their past life. They recall picnics in a field, a bicycle received at a recent birthday, a rainstorm when power was lost, and their recent move to the city from their old farm home. Together, they agree to make a new memory of this first morning in their apartment.

Smith’s digitally enhanced watercolour and gouache illustrations are painterly in style, with fuzzy edges that distinguish memory from the present. The contemporary spreads of mom and son are dark (the two are conversing in bed just before dawn), lightening slightly with each “Do you remember . . .” as the story progresses. The memory artwork is lighter, but appropriately blurry, and makes use of smaller panels to convey individual details of the event. The use of pink text for mom and blue for the child further clarifies the brief narrative for readers.

As in many great picture books, the essence of this story is to be found not in what’s said, but in what’s left unspoken. From the artwork, readers will note that Dad is a prominent figure in the boy’s memories—relaxing at the picnic, presenting the boy with a new bicycle, lighting Grandad’s oil lamp during the storm, and making sure the child remembers to take his teddy bear to his new home. The reasons for the parents’ breakup are left unstated (making it a more universal story); more important is the fact that this child is safe, loved, and ready to move forward. Based on events from Smith’s life, Do You Remember? is a story of separation and change not to be missed.