An evocative story about recovering from grief for readers of any age.
A young girl finds purpose in life after losing a loved one in Bird’s debut middle-grade novel.
Twelve-year-old Clare Burch has lived with her mother, Helen, and her maternal grandparents, Grandma Lulu and her beloved Grandpa Anthony, for most of her life. One New Year’s Eve, Grandpa Anthony collapses from a heart attack while making dinner. Clare is the only family member at home, so she calls the paramedics and stays with him until they get to the hospital. When he ultimately dies, Clare is devastated. In his will, Grandpa Anthony requested that Grandma Lulu, Helen, and Clare spend a summer together in the family cabin in Alwyn, Wisconsin, where Clare used to vacation with him and her mom. He also asked that they scatter his ashes in the lake there. Clare doesn’t want to leave her two best friends, Emmy and Olive, and her swim team—and she doesn’t want to leave Grandpa Anthony’s ashes in Wisconsin. He’s always been the person who held the family together, and she wonders what will happen now. But what starts as a trip full of uncertainty and apprehension for Clare, Helen, and Grandma Lulu ends up being a journey of self-discovery as they navigate their grief and reconnect with one another. For Clare, specifically, the voyage allows her to open up, make new friends, and enjoy life. Over the course of the novel, Bird craftily balances the family’s story with beautiful descriptions of Wisconsin landscapes while focusing on Clare’s emotions and realizations as she learns to believe in herself and to accept the loss of a loved one. The characters are relatable and sometimes quite funny, and Clare’s ruminations are thoughtful yet appropriate for a girl her age: “We’re each pointing in our very own direction,” she reflects toward the end of the novel while looking at what she, Grandma Lulu, and her mother have accomplished during their stay. Each manages to find the motivation she needs to keep going.
An evocative story about recovering from grief for readers of any age.Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64538-283-6
Page Count: 254
Publisher: Orange Hat Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A solid if message-driven conversation starter about the hard parts of learning.
Children realize their dreams one step at a time in this story about growth mindset.
A child crashes and damages a new bicycle on a dark, rainy day. Attempting a wheelie, the novice cyclist falls onto the sidewalk, grimacing, and, having internalized this setback as failure, vows to never ride again but to “walk…forever.” Then the unnamed protagonist happens upon a glowing orb in the forest, a “thought rearranger-er”—a luminous pink fairy called the Magical Yet. This Yet reminds the child of past accomplishments and encourages perseverance. The second-person rhyming couplets remind readers that mistakes are part of learning and that with patience and effort, children can achieve. Readers see the protagonist learn to ride the bike before a flash-forward shows the child as a capable college graduate confidently designing a sleek new bike. This book shines with diversity: racial, ethnic, ability, and gender. The gender-indeterminate protagonist has light brown skin and exuberant curly locks; Amid the bustling secondary cast, one child uses a prosthesis, and another wears hijab. At no point in the text is the Yet defined as a metaphor for a growth mindset; adults reading with younger children will likely need to clarify this abstract lesson. The artwork is powerful and detailed—pay special attention to the endpapers that progress to show the Yet at work.
A solid if message-driven conversation starter about the hard parts of learning. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02562-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion/LBYR
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
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