A single pebble

The repeating phrase at each handover can give shared reading a familiar rhythm. Changing watercolour scenes also distinguish China, the journey west and Italy.

Mei wants to travel but stays behind to care for silkworms; the ending raises the possibility of a later journey. The father’s change of mind after two years may feel abrupt.

What makes the pebble feel valuable to the people who receive it, and does the exchange of gifts make the connection between China and Italy convincing to you?

Pause at the handovers and trace the journey west together. The maps and supplementary historical notes can help separate the story’s imagined encounters from its Silk Road background.