EVERYTHING CHANGES

A child experiences big emotions after their parents separate.

A loving family—Mommy, Daddy, and child—have a fun summer outing at the beach. Then, just as the waves wash in to claim the family’s sand castle, the parents say they won’t be living together anymore. The child is distraught, with feelings roiling inside them like the sea. The adults say, “Sometimes grown-ups separate….But parents are forever.” Autumn arrives, and then winter snow, and the child plays with Daddy at his new house and with Mommy on a sledding hill. The child continues to have big, sudden feelings about the breakup, but each time the parents provide reassurances that all emotions are valid. “We can’t stop our feelings, or the leaves from dropping...but we can catch them as they fall,” says Daddy. As the seasons change, life does as well (like Mommy having a new partner), and that knowledge frees the child’s mind. This book deftly compares emotions to nature and conveys the message that life goes on, ever changing and ever growing. The text and illustrations work harmoniously to provide examples and extend the metaphors. This one is ideal for young ones processing a big life change. Mommy is light-skinned, Daddy is brown-skinned, and the child has light brown skin; supporting characters display a wide variety of skin tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Tenderly nuanced.