AS THE CROW FLIES

From Winthrop (The Little Humpbacked Horse, 1997, etc.), a look at joint custody through the eyes of second-grader Michael, who talks to his father in Delaware via cordless phone while riding his bike in front of his Arizona home, where he lives with his mother. The big day arrives when Michael’s father shows up in a rental car for his annual one-week visit. The pair pal around, share a motel room, hike in the park, play rainy-day games, and do homework together. Michael acknowledges that even while he is enjoying his father’s presence, he misses his mother, friend Jake, and pet turtle, B.J. Once the week is over, Michael’s spirits are lifted by the news that he is old enough to fly “two thousand miles as the crow flies” to visit his father come summer. Sandin’s realistic watercolor illustrations emphasize the facial expressions of father and son to reflect their warm relationship. A poignant book that takes an upbeat approach to an inherently bad (from a child’s perspective) situation. (Picture book. 5-8)