posted on 03 Aug 2025

Our Pebbles by Jarvis

We are always thrilled to review another picture book by this prolific and accomplished Manchester-based author/artist who has previously worked in animation and record cover design. I was especially pleased to see that I could add it to my growing collection of books about grandparents.

When I recently shared this one with a group of five-year-olds, we spent some time looking closely at the colourful cover. One observant girl spotted that the text was raised and asked to trace it with her finger. Her friend suggested that only some of the many pebbles depicted were ‘real’ pebbles, but a boy offered his opinion that in some countries you could find pink and blue pebbles with patterns, because he had seen them for himself!  The end papers zoom in on some of the more unusual pebbles and so we wondered whether this story was going to be about an adventure on such a beach, or somewhere closer to home.

The opening pages show a jolly looking elderly man dandling a smiling little boy on the steps of a caravan. They are clearly ready to set off somewhere special together:

‘Ready to go where we always went. 

Didn’t matter what the weather did.

         Didn’t matter the time.

Grandad knew the best way…’ 

And off they go through the ‘Wonky Woods’, past the train track, up and over the stile until they are shown facing out at us as they reach their destination. We guessed that it might be somewhere at the seaside, as they had just climbed up some sandy dunes. The turn of the page rewarded us with the exciting landscape of Pebble Beach with a deep blue sea framed by some of those unusual looking pebbles first spotted on the cover. The boy tells us that this is their favourite place where they have already spent plenty of interesting times. Several children exclaimed that they had also had seagulls trying to eat their ice creams when they were at the seaside. Another girl thought that she had visited the same place when she saw the big archway of rock as they walk along to find a new pebble to take back with them. I liked the way in which the boy is slightly disbelieving of what his Grandad tells him – had he really once had a tea party with an octopus? It seems that he is growing out of that short time treasured by all parents and grandparents, which gives the story a nostalgic dimension for adult readers.   

Jarvis uses a pleasingly gentle style of illustration, which is rather reminiscent of Raymond Briggs’ use of pastels and crayons. We really enjoyed the different ways in which each page uses the relationship between text and illustration and cleverly shows the strong bond between Grandad and the boy. One of my favourites is looking at their two hands washing pebbles underneath the water and another as they sat together quietly painting pictures in an old boat called ‘The Jolly Dancer’. 

Everything changes when Grandad moves away from Pebble Beach, so the boy takes his Mam there and they pick out two pebbles to take to him in his new home. We talked about how important it was to remember happy times and how the collection of pebbles would always be precious for that reason. I can imagine how this poignant story could inspire some real pebble painting as well as reminiscing about positive childhood memories. 

I strongly recommend this beautifully illustrated picture book which captures special moments that will chime with many readers, whatever their age. Available now from Walker Books, you will be able to get this from your local independent bookshop - who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

Karen Argent

August 2025