MILK AND JUICE

Inside a refrigerator, nestled among Tupperware and tomatoes, a slim juice bottle and rotund milk jug fall in love.

The genders of the anthropomorphic plastic vessels are not specified. The pair are separated when a child with light skin and textured hair takes Juice to the recycling bin. At the recycling center, Juice is transformed into a different container and then ends up in the home of a White child with golden hair. Juice continues pining for Milk throughout various recycling transformations. Milk is also recycled many times, each metamorphosis taking it to another part of the world; one double-page spread shows Milk desperately calling Juice’s name in 22 languages as artwork employing continuous narration captures the global journey. Perpetually thwarted in love, the synthetic soul mates fall into deep despair until a surprising twist of fate reunites them. The protagonists’ dialogue appears in speech bubbles while the succinct narration appears as regular text. Reminiscent of a rom-com, this tale has an unrealistically sweet ending and a predictable plot, but Brown effectively uses humor, comic-book conventions, and a sentimental color palette to evoke interest. Even though the subtitle tags this picture book as a love story, it also succeeds as an inspiring introduction to recycling, an ode to persistence, and a light parable on the immutability of the heart.

A story that milks the mushy, with just enough creative juice to keep the pages turning.