In Stalactite and Stalagmite, Drew Beckmeyer (The First Week of School; I Am a Tornado) crafts a playfully inventive and quietly profound look at time, friendship, and change. The story follows two "little mineral piles" that become tiny rock nubs that grow ever so slowly in the depths of a cave. As millennia pass, they witness the comings and goings of prehistoric creatures--a trilobite, a triceratops, even a giant ground sloth that pauses to lick the speleothems. Eventually, humans appear, starting with a cave artist leaving drawings on the walls, followed by a lost miner, and then a passing tour group. Through it all, the two formations remain, growing ever closer until, at last, they touch--becoming something new, together.
The book's humor shines, for example when a skeptical bat insists the stalactite must be a bat too, since it is "dripping pee" (water). Young readers will likely love this bit of potty humor. The bat's dialogue is cleverly arranged so readers must rotate the book, enhancing the lighthearted charm and inviting active participation.
Beneath the humor, though, is something grander. In a poignant moment, Stalagmite imagines the picture it would draw if it could: "the whole infinite universe throughout all time.... Everyone who saw it... would find comfort finally knowing their place in its endless giganticness." That invitation to contemplate deep time and connection is what makes the book so resonant. Beckmeyer's richly textured, mixed-media spreads bring warmth and depth to this dynamic world. With just two eyes and a mouth, the formations feel full of personality--patient witnesses to the slow, wondrous passage of time. --Julie Danielson