Odds and Ends
Odds and Ends
Written & illustrated by Maija Hurme
Translated from Finnish by Mia Spangenberg
In this charming translated work from Finland, an imaginative child makes a scrapbook of "lasts" instead of "firsts," inviting readers to reflect on what they hold onto and save.
I imagine a child cozying up with a parent, grandparent, or librarian; with much discussion and recollection of one’s own memories of lasts. This is a book that engages through its art and text, but the organization of lasts is a detail not to overlook. Reading Hurme’s work is as if she is sharing a gift of memories with the reader and she challenges us to share memories in return.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-479-8
210 mm (W) x 230 mm (H) • 32 pages • Hardcover
Ages: 4-8
Publication Date: April 21, 2026
REVIEWS
★ STARRED REVIEW! "Hurme’s skillfully rendered art and thoughtful text capture the range of emotions children experience, while helping them reflect on their feelings and observations in new ways... Children will open this one again and again, smiling, thinking, soaking in the beauty, feeling respected and understood."—Kirkus Reviews
★ STARRED REVIEW! "This conversation-starting picture book invites reflection long after the last page."—Booklist
★ STARRED REVIEW! "[A] young narrator presents a literary volume of 'lasts' in Hurme’s affecting picture book… Evocative moments… include the mundane, the transformative, and the profound… The final collection offers a piercing portrait of the many ineffable moments that make up a life."—Publishers Weekly
★ STARRED REVIEW! "At turns whimsical, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, this sentimental picture book invites readers of all ages to celebrate the 'lasts' in life... Atmospheric pencil and watercolor illustrations form a scrapbook of memories and moments the child narrator collects."—Foreword Reviews
"The book follows a girl who collects different 'lasts.' ... The tone is heartwarming, funny, and thoughtful. Just the right kind of SEL book to prompt conversations between teachers/students & parents/children on the lasts that they have had over their own lives. Think of it as an oddball memory book. This is about how kids look at the world and what they notice."—Librarian Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production
"These shared reflections encourage readers to consider their own “lasts”—the wistful, the lonely, the long-awaited, and the quietly transformative. In velvety, soft-focus vignettes, the illustrations echo the text’s emotional range and capture fleeting instances of loss, joy, and renewal. A profound meditation on noticing.”—Julie Danielson, The Horn Book
"A stirring, child’s-eye view of measuring and commemorating growth and change."—Jonah Dragan, School Library Journal