
By Naomi Danis, Junghwa Park (Illustrator)
A boy's loyalty is tested as he watches over his napping grandpa.
Gilbert spends a summer afternoon watching over his napping grandpa, tasked with shooing away imaginary flies. As he contemplates his changing family—his grandma's passing, a new baby coming, and siblings bustling around—temptations to leave his post arise. Yet, Gilbert's steadfast loyalty leads to an unexpected, sweet reward. Will he stay true to his duty or give in to distractions?
A moving, funny, elegant meditation on love, childhood, and one’s place in a family. Gilbert spends a sunny summer afternoon obediently keeping watch over his napping grandpa to shoo the pesky flies away. Unsure of exactly how long he’s really supposed to sit there, watching for non-existent bugs, he passes time contemplating his ever-changing family: His grandma Sarah recently died, a new baby is on the way, his siblings and cousins race in and out. While the temptations to abandon his post beckon, Gilbert’s loyalty to his grandpa stays true, and his quiet dedication finds a sweet reward.
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