THE TRAIN HOME

A young Asian girl dreams her way home.

Nari lives in a small, crowded apartment in a diverse, bustling city. Among the chatter from her grandparents, the arguing from her parents, the whining from her little sister, and noise from their neighbors, she finds little respite. As she watches a passing train, she wonders if she “can take it…and find her dream home.” Layers of textured, colorful vines brimming with flowers, insects, and animals greet Nari as she imagines herself at her first stop. After lying in an intricately lined nest in the woods, she boards the train again. Her next stop is a bridge amid rolling waves and a sky embroidered with birds and winding winds. The next few fantastical stops include a “delicate coral reef” with a brown-skinned, coral-finned mermaid, the vast shelves in the New York Public Library, and back in time with dinosaurs roaming a lush forest. (She makes a mental note to bring her little sister next time.) As Nari floats in space surrounded by the galaxy, she wishes for her “parents’ laughter” and “her grandparents’ stories.” Eventually Nari takes the magical train back to her true home—noise and all. This spare narrative, with its graceful illustrations, gently makes its point—sometimes we need a little distance to appreciate what truly matters. Hints in the artwork cue the family as Korean.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

 A quiet, imaginative, and tender tale of finding home.