Reading: OCEAN MEETS SKY - Terry Fan & Eric Fan/The Fan Brothers

Prose (Story): Finn is a young boy who's always loved and lived by the sea, where his beloved grandfather always told him many stories ... and of the place where the ocean meets the sky. With his grandpa passed on now, stories are all Finn has left - until he decides, one beautiful sunny day, to build a boat and honor his incredible grandfather by setting out to find where ocean meets sky himself.

Don's (Thoughts): This was my introduction to the Fan Brothers, and I can't believe it took me this long to find them. The story here - of a boy finding peace after the death of his much-loved grandpa - is simple yet deeply felt in Finn's need to find closure. But wowsy-WOW the illustrations here - the genuine, frame-able artwork that is nearly every page of this brilliant picture book, is what will keep both kids and adults going back to read it over and over again. The colors, intricate detail, even imagination put into each rendering of Finn's journey is breathtaking, and after reading it once I went back a second and third time just to really look at every wave of the sea, creature Finn meets, even the wonderful library island of books (not to mention some things the brothers drop in, here and there, I hadn't caught the first time around). The sweet/bittersweet ending might go over the heads of some younger children, but is equally charming and lovely as the book itself. Can't wait to dive into more of the genuine art the brothers Fan so loving create. 5/5 stars