THERE

YA novelist Condie teams up again with illustrator Kim for her latest picture book following Here (2023).

Condie’s spare text allows for artistic interpretation to make the story’s uplifting message clear as she begins, “Sometimes problems are short and small. Sometimes they are big, bigger, biggest.” Kim’s accompanying cartoon illustration shows a light-skinned child with short, wavy dark hair, worriedly looking at dark blotches swirling above. A page turn reveals a small, brown-skinned child with long dark hair standing alone in the rain. The narration continues: “Sometimes I don’t know where to go. Or what to do.” The two children unite on the next spread in a powerful composition, gazing across the book’s gutter at each other, with only the words “Do you?” above the longer-haired youngster. They find comfort and strength in togetherness, with words and pictures combining to support a metaphorical reading of the storms we all face. When the pair encounter a small, squiggly form on a leaf, they wonder, “Is it…anything? Is it…everything? Is it a mess / a monster.” Figurative reading falters at this point. The object appears neither monstrous nor messy, and some young kids will easily identify it as a caterpillar. The subsequent emergence of a butterfly might disappoint those readers somewhat despite its potential for symbolic richness. Still, many youngsters will enjoy the journey—and will smile as the purple butterfly spreads its vibrant wings.

Gentle encouragement for tackling life’s challenges.