by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
2005 Caldecott Honor Book
In this story of a young African American girl who lives with her grandmother while her mom is away trying to make money, the illustrations are simply amazing. The pictures tell the story all by themselves, and the words simply flow to give the story a bit more interest. I loved watching how the little kitten grew throughout the story, showing the passage of time and how the little girl, Ada Ruth, needed something to help her keep her mind off missing her mother. While reading the story, I was half-afraid that the only word they would ever hear from the mother was of her death, since railroad jobs can be dangerous--especially for a woman during those times. However, I was greatly relieved when the mother sent word back home that she was "coming on home soon."
This story, although set in wartime many, many decades ago, seems very fitting to be read by a young child today, since we are in war times again. I think this book might be somewhat uplifting for a child of a soldier currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, giving them hope that their loved one would be "coming on home soon." I also identified with it since it is set in the winter months--a dark, cold and lonely time of year that we are experiencing right now. With all the snow we have had in the last month or so, it is hard NOT to put yourself in the story when they live in an area surrounded by snow. Even though this may be trivial, it is a simple observation that a young child might pick up on to help them identify with the characters in the story, as well as opening up a conversation about the other messages presented in this beautifully written (although with sparse words), beautifully illustrated story.
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