Review by Booklist Review
Siblings Liza and Henry, with brown skin and exuberantly curly hair, are best friends who do everything together. They play, go to parties, read, explore, enjoy imaginary adventures, and even get flu shots. One day, however, it becomes time for Liza to begin kindergarten, and Henry is left behind. He no longer has Liza around to hunt tigers, blast asteroids, swing, or hang out at their special pace, the Twisty Tree. Angry, Henry breaks her new crayons, but he can't keep her from boarding the big school bus. Alone, he discovers he can build his own fort, take on an outer space mission, and invent new swing tricks. When Liza returns, she still wants to sit with him at the Twisty Tree. She teaches Henry her class cheer. He demonstrates his new prowess on the swings. Cartoon-style illustrations, rendered in Procreate and finished in Photoshop, capture the children's warm relationship as the text gently demonstrates that Henry and Liza can develop their own interests while staying close and loving.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Siblings Liza and Henry do everything together, including getting simultaneous haircuts, receiving flu shots while holding hands, and pretending to rescue animals. As Maynor humorously relays, "They knew all the same people.// And went to all the same parties." But when older sister Liza starts kindergarten, the younger sibling finds himself in a defensive funk, playing pretend and visiting the Twisty Tree, his and Liza's Best Place, alone. When Liza returns from school, the duo find themselves exchanging tales of their new experiences. Resonant dialogue clearly conveys the siblings' closeness and their respective emotions, while luminous digital art by Marley centers the brown-skinned siblings' simple-featured expressiveness; appealing doodled overlays bring their imagination sessions to life. Younger siblings or those worried about distance weakening close bonds will find reassurance in this tender narrative. Ages 4--7. (July)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Only a year apart in age, siblings Henry and Liza are inseparable. They play imaginative games together; hang out by "the Twisty Tree"; travel in the same social circles; and pass all milestones together, in lockstep. But when Liza goes to kindergarten, Henry stays at home, feeling angry and abandoned. He tries to get on with his usual activities without Liza and eventually discovers the swings, where he invents some new moves all by himself. When the two reunite at the end of the day, they have much to share about how they spent their time apart. Henry teaches Liza one of his swing tricks, and Liza teaches Henry her class cheer. Digital illustrations nicely capture the nature of preschool-aged play, incorporating doodles when representing the imaginary elements. The "Twisty Tree" -- with its massive trunk, overhanging branches, and blue-green, hair-like leaves -- is the book's visual highlight. This story validates children's fear of change and separation from a loved one but also offers assurance that these feelings pass, and that moments apart are not only productive for our self-growth, but they also make the time we do spend together all the more special. Julie Hakim Azzam September/October 2021 p.75(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Siblings learn to adjust to a new normal when big sister Liza starts kindergarten and little brother Henry must learn to get along without her. Henry and Liza, a brown-skinned sibling pair with kinky-curly brown hair, have been together "as long as there had been Henry and Liza." They read, explore the outdoors, play, and get haircuts and flu shots together. One of their favorite things to do is to visit their Best Place under the Twisty Tree, but as its yellowing leaves--a prominent theme throughout--portend, things are about to change. When Liza gets a new backpack, Henry learns that not only is he not old enough to go to school, but his skills at writing, drawing, and using scissors are not enough to gain him entry. As leaves flutter down around him, Henry lets out a "ROARRRRRR!" The theme of leaves continues on the wallpaper as Henry storms upstairs to a blanket fort in which "no kindergartners [are] allowed!" Working through his anger, Henry discovers that there are lots of things he can do without Liza. As he gets lost in his imagination, a process delightfully played out in Marley's empathetic cartoons, he starts to enjoy himself and realizes there may be some benefits to Liza's absence. This book deftly explores a topic not often seen in the back-to-school genre: the experience of the younger sibling. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A solid addition to the back-to-school shelves. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
