Cuevas, Michelle. The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. illus. by Erin E. Stead. 40p. Dial. Aug. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780803738683.  

K-Gr 2 –A man who lives at the seashore has a unique—but lonely—job. The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles spends his days watching the waves for a glint of glass and delivering messages near and far. His only companions are an orange tabby cat and a cow. Befitting the slightly melancholy tone, Cuevas’s text is appropriately lyrical (“Sometimes the messages were very old, crunchy like leaves in the fall. Sometimes the messages were written by a quill dipped in sadness.”). When he discovers a bottle with an invitation to a party the next evening—with no recipient specified—the Uncorker is curious. After asking the maker of cakes, the candy shop owner, several townspeople, a seagull, and a one-man band if they recognize the handwriting (no one does, though they all profess a desire to attend such a party), the Uncorker decides to go to the event himself in hopes of returning the message to the original author. Lightly textured oil pastels in shades of warm tangerine and cool turquoise suggest a dreamy landscape of fog, waves, sand, and sun. But it’s Stead’s people and animals that tug the heartstrings. Like gentle zookeeper Amos McGee and the patient young explorer in If You Want To See a Whale, Stead’s characters exude an endearing vulnerability and quirky charm. Though the impromptu celebration on the seashore at sundown won’t necessarily come as a surprise, the message about connection and community is beautifully delivered. VERDICT A perfect pairing of text and art. Share this quiet story with your wishers and dreamers.–Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal