Wilhelm's polished, classic watercolors and a stylized typeface intensify the invitingly nostalgic flavor of this tale set many years ago. On a rocky New England beach, lonely Sarah is visited by a ghost-like boy, who tells her that she will soon have a best friend. On another day, the same figure returns and announces that he needs Sarah's help. Instructing her to bring her favorite toys, a pair of puppets, the boy takes her to a rundown house, where an anxious mother hovers over her feverish d