In a Jar
In a Jar book cover

In a Jar

Hardcover – Picture Book, January 21, 2020

Price
$11.70
Format
Hardcover
Pages
40
Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0525514596
Dimensions
8.94 x 0.38 x 11.31 inches
Weight
15 ounces

Description

A #1 Indie BestsellerA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA BookPage Best Book of the YearA Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year* "Readers will feel the warmth of friendship and the wonder of the world as well. Stunning." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review * "An enchanting examination of the pleasure reaped from cultivating imagination, friendship, and memory." -- School Library Journal , starred review * "Marcero works magic with prismatic watercolors, ink, and pencil, as her light-filled illustrations chronicle the young rabbits’ exploits and their appreciative wonder of the world around them . . . This joyful account of friendship will charm readers with the notion of capturing wind or a rainbow in a jar, but its deeper message of maintaining relationships over a distance will comfort those who have moved or know someone who has." -- Booklist , starred review * “ In a Jar does what all the best picture books do: It captivates, entertains and leaves you with a reminder of magic still shimmering around the edges.” --BookPage , starred review "Marcero provides a metaphor for the importance of capturing fleeting moments, and an image of a friendship that overcomes separation." -- Publishers Weekly "Cozy yet also endearingly offbeat. This could make an interesting partner to Denos’ Here and Now in a celebration of moments, or it could couple with Doerrfeld’s Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! for a discussion of how sharing feeds a friendship." -- BCCB "This is a book about friendship and how true bonds can transcend geographical distance. This is one to remember when a child experiences the unexpected departure of a friend." -- School Library Connection “Marcero uses delicate lines and vibrant colors to illustrate a tale of eccentricity and friendshipxa0. . .xa0The details in Ms. Marcero’s beguiling pictures add a seek-and-find element to this tender story for children ages 3-7.” --The Wall Street Journal Deborah Marcero is the author and illustrator of My Heart Is a Compass , which Kirkus Reviews called "lovely, lively, and enchanting," in a starred review, and the illustrator of Twinderella by Corey Rosen Schwartz. She received a BFA in drawing, printmaking, and photography from the University of Michigan and an MFA in poetry from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After teaching in Chicago public schools as a literacy specialist, Deborah realized that writing and creating books for kids was how she wanted to spend her life. Learn more at deborahmarcero.com and follow her on Twitter @deborahmarcero.

Features & Highlights

  • Here's a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship.
  • Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars--ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things--like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they've seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection--and their special friendship--from afar?

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(240)
★★★★
25%
(100)
★★★
15%
(60)
★★
7%
(28)
-7%
(-28)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Gentle friendship story with luminous illustrations

I bought two copies--one for my family and one for a baby shower--and will probably continue to purchase this as a gift for children (and adult friends!) into the future. This tale of a friendship made and then sustained over time is tender and thought-provoking, with the little rabbit protagonist collecting and sharing things that can be seen as literal but also as metaphors for mindfulness and memory. The illustrations are gentle and luminous; I pore over them as do the kids who have read this. I hope this lovely book is a contender for next year's Caldecott Medal for children's book illustration!
17 people found this helpful
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Stunning. Gorgeous. Heartfelt.

This is one of my very favorite children’s books! Such a sweet and charming story with absolutely stunning illustrations, it’s a treat to turn each page. This heartfelt book poetically captures the essence of love and friendship and the beautiful memories that stay with us beyond space and time, in such a warm and uniquely vibrant way. There is beauty and love on every page — evocative, playful, and nuanced. You and your children will want to read this enchanting story again and again.
14 people found this helpful
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A beautiful story and illustrations!

This is a beautiful book that can help children deal with big emotions. My children and I have loved all of Marcero's books and this book is no exception. Any resemblance to another story does not automatically equal plagiarism. That is a publisher's mistake to not catch, not the author's.
11 people found this helpful
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Beautifully illustrated, whimsical picture book

This book is beautifully illustrated and I absolutely loved the whimsy--the idea of being able to capture moments and experiences and store them in a jar. And it makes sense that long friendships would collect many such jars. After seeing the reviews comparing this to another lovely book, Juna's Jar, I read both and other than a few elements, I found the books to be quite different. The main concept of "In a Jar" is experiences and ***SPOILER ALERT*** the main character uses the jar to stay connected with a friend who's moved away. The main concept of "Juna's Jar" is using the magic of the jar to find closure. In general, there are only so many story concepts out there, and that there are these two books similar concept isn't super surprising. I found each to be original in execution.
9 people found this helpful
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Concern for copyright violation of Juna's Jar

This book is concerningly close to a previously published book by Jane Bahk, Juna's Jar, in which a little girl also collects magical things in a jar with her friend, and the jar helps her cope with sadness when her friend has to move away, and she finds a new friend to collect with.
9 people found this helpful
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Love this book

One of my new favorites. Llewellyn is such a charming character. I love the warmth of the language and the underlying message of collecting, savoring, and sharing memories and friendship. Bravo, Deborah! While other reviewers saw similarities with another book published years earlier, I disagree. Although I've only read the Amazon preview of the other title, to me, the style, the setting, and the language was so different than In a Jar, they feel totally different except for the jar and collecting aspect. But to me, in a world where children regularly collect things in jars, there is bound to be a slight overlap. To me, it's not a problem. I love this beautiful book and its charming illustrations.
7 people found this helpful
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Beautiful, magical book!

In A Jar is another stunning book from author illustrator Deborah Marcero. Each page overflows with color, warmth, heart and love. Each line is poetry. After reading this lovely story to my children, ages 8 and 4, we had a beautiful talk about love and loss and how to use imagination and creativity to deal with sad feelings. We have all of Marcero’s books and this is our favorite so far. But - it’s hard to choose. Ursa’s Light is uplifting, quirky and funny and My Heart is a Compass is beautiful and magical as well. Check out all her books - they’re fantastic!
6 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Beautiful, magical book!

In A Jar is another stunning book from author illustrator Deborah Marcero. Each page overflows with color, warmth, heart and love. Each line is poetry. After reading this lovely story to my children, ages 8 and 4, we had a beautiful talk about love and loss and how to use imagination and creativity to deal with sad feelings. We have all of Marcero’s books and this is our favorite so far. But - it’s hard to choose. Ursa’s Light is uplifting, quirky and funny and My Heart is a Compass is beautiful and magical as well. Check out all her books - they’re fantastic!
6 people found this helpful
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Original? No.

This book is extremely, extremely similar of Jane Bank's book, "Juna's Jar." If I could give it zero stars, I would. The only difference between the two books is that the characters are rabbits in the newer one.
6 people found this helpful
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Same plot as Juna's Jar

This sounds like the exact same plot as Juna's Jar, but with rabbits.
6 people found this helpful