This story is laid on the Maine seacoast, and the big-double spread pictures of the gulls and the boats and the harbor are full of sunshine and country loveliness. More than that, it is full of warmth and excitement of everyday living. When Sal loses her first tooth and discovers she is growing up, it is a very big moment. And a trip to the village is an enormous adventure for little Jane. The mother and father share these experiences with solemnity and humor and love.

Here is a typical American family and a lived-out story. You know that from the homey details in the kitchen, the way Sal appropriates her father to help look for her lost tooth, the way they dig clams for lunch, the motorboat that has to be rowed to the mainland, the gleeful expression on Jane's face as she creeps about the garage floor, forgotten in the serious discussion about spark plugs. The island and harbor are real too, for the McCloskey's live in northern Maine from springtime till October.

From the dust jacket