Vera lives on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, with the Pacific Ocean stretching out beyond the coast. “My mom says we’re on the real edge of the world.” Lucas lives with his family in a small town on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Chile. “It’s the real edge of the world!” his grandmother tells him. In a book comprised of two separate stories that start at each end and meet in the middle, Vera (white) and Lucas (Latine) reveal their “most valuable things,” how they spend (or want to spend) their time, and their loneliness: Each longs for a friend. Both children sometimes end the day at the beach near their respective homes, using Morse Code to send out a flashlight signal: “Hi, I’m Vera.” “Hi, I’m Lucas.” The two stories are connected by a series of pages showing the span across the ocean that their two signals must travel to reach the other, which is surely an impossibility, and yet … Whether it’s the magic of storytelling or something else that sees this impossibility become a reality is one of many things readers can ponder in this full-hearted work beautifully grounded in the lives of two contemporary children living continents apart. Marvelous details conveyed through text and illustrations reveal many parallels and some contrasts between Vera’s and Lucas’s lives. The distinct, artful style and clean lines of the digital illustrations, which includes a map and Morse Code on the endpapers, add to the book’s appeal. (Ages 7-10)

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List - Grades 3-5 (2024)

A uniquely formatted book about dreams, loneliness, and the universal longing for connection. 

Vera and her family live on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, a place that feels like the edge of the world itself. Lucas and his family also say they live on the edge of the world, but their home is thousands of miles away on the coast of Chile. Vera spends her days devouring fantasy books, throwing balls to her dog, and longing for a friend who would care about the treasures she’s hidden underneath the alder bush. Lucas spends his days looking for fossils, playing solo games of soccer, and wishing for a friend who would read with him on the best branch of his favorite tree. One evening, both Lucas and Vera head to the beach, blink their flashlights into the dark—and discover that the edge of the world is not such a lonely place after all.

In this playful, perceptive book, acclaimed author-illustrator Anna Desnitskaya shares the mirroring lives of two children in two separate but surprisingly similar settings. As readers flip the book between Vera in Russia and Lucas in Chile, they will learn just how big—and how small—a place the world can be.

The Children’s Book Council Teacher FAVORITES List 3rd-5th Grade (2024)

Cooperative Children’s Book Center CCBC Choices List - Picture Books (2024)