During an annual stay at a summer cottage, a young boy sets out with his father in the early morning hoping to catch sight of a deer. They see an egret and a red-winged blackbird, and encounter a crew and noisy bulldozer on a work site. Anticipation heightens when they arrive on conservation land, and the child finds it hard to stay quiet and still while they wait out a rain shower. Their patience is finally rewarded with the sight of a passing doe and her two fawns. Although he tells his mother about the experience later, the boy holds part of the memory inside, recalling how the deer had appeared so briefly "-as if they'd come from nowhere like Dad said, or as if our two worlds crossed for just a magic while." A quiet tone, imagery-rich language, and textured oil paint art allow readers-regardless of their location-to vicariously experience the wonder of the fleeting encounter. (Ages 4-8)