Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post

Serendipity and positive thinking come into play as a family searches for a missing puzzle piece in Bob Graham's enchanting story with a sweet surprise ending.

“Oh; let's do it!” say Kitty and Katy and Mum when a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle mysteriously arrives in the post. “I have time on my hands;” agrees Dad. Starting in winter with the edges; by autumn they're almost done; only to discover that one piece is missing. Mum is sure that it must have accidentally gone out with the rubbish; so the Kellys pile into the car to comb through the local tip (“shouldn't take long”). There they uncover forgotten letters; train tickets; discarded newspapers; and old photos yellow with age; but finding the missing piece is starting to seem like wishful thinking. “Let's wish; then;” says Katy. As in all of Bob Graham's work; the beauty here is in the details; with visual perspectives that offer a bird's-eye view or take us underfoot; wordless sequences letting us in on a secret. Is it sheer luck – or perhaps the power of hope – that creates an ending to the story?