Review by Booklist Review
At sunset, a child catches a firefly. Before it flies away, she makes a wish: to stay in her latest foster home, where she has lived for the past year. She knows that staying might not be possible, but even if she can't, she will always remember this wonderfully happy place. At her new school, she excels. While she sometimes felt withdrawn at her former placements, here she enjoys dancing and baking cookies with her two dads, as well as having sleepovers with her classmates. Her friends cheer her up when she feels sad; she does the same for them. Though anxious about whether she can stay, she reflects that she'll always remember this joyful year. The girl narrates her story in concise sentences that show her character as well as her experiences and her hopes, but it's actually the expressive digital illustrations that reveal the story's ending. This seems fitting, since throughout the book, the illustrations have sensitively depicted her feeling of belonging within her current home and community. A satisfying picture book.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Under a starry sky in a flower-filled field, the brown-skinned child narrator of this picture book closes their eyes and wishes on a firefly, "to stay." Turning pages reveal that the wish represents, for frequent new-kid Chloe, "the first foster home where I didn't hide. And the first school where I made friends!" Chloe still worries about having to say goodbye to their foster family, but the year has "felt like a happy dream"--one in which they got straight A's, learned to play tennis, and enjoyed dance parties. Though the child recognizes the presence of uncertainty, they also acknowledge, "I will always have memories of the year I... baked cookies, dreamed with fireflies, laughed with my friends, made a wish"--a wish that, Clarkson's slight, strongly emotive prose suggests, may pan out. Jarema's pastel-hued gouache, acrylic, and digital illustrations give a soft feel to this hopeful work, which is scattered with images of stars and rainbows. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4--This picture book gives readers a glimpse into the life of a young girl longing for love and acceptance. Chloe, who is Black, has bounced around in the foster system, never staying any one place for long. Then she arrives at her new home with two foster dads--one Black, one white--and finally feels a sense of belonging. This new feeling exists not only in her new home, but also in her new school. With the turn of every page, readers learn more about how Chloe is thriving in her new environment, even as she wonders if her wish to stay forever in this foster home will be realized. The illustrator's use of painted pastel blues, pinks, greens, yellows, and purples evokes calm feelings as Chloe's future unfolds. VERDICT This hopeful work on a subject treated all too infrequently in picture books would be a sensitive and welcome addition to any library.--Misty Schattle
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
For the first time, Chloe can relax. Chloe's had some tough foster experiences in the past, but life now feels like a wonderful dream. Chloe bakes cookies, dances, gets all A's in school, finally makes real friends, and bonds with a loving pair of foster parents (both of whom present male). But will Chloe have to leave once again? Longing to stay, the youngster makes a wish on a firefly. One evening at sunset, Chloe's surprised by a message on the driveway written in chalk: "Welcome Home, Chloe!!!!" Chloe's foster parents and friends beam and hold out their arms in celebration. Thanks to swirling firefly magic, Chloe's wish was granted. Images in a calming pastel palette, with soft, wide brush strokes, set a tranquil tone. The bright, syrupy-sweet artwork alternates between full-page illustrations depicting Chloe's house and ethereal vignettes set against a solid background as Chloe reflects on various memories. It's a reassuring tale, but one that glosses over the harsher realities of the often fraught and complicated foster-care system; adults seeking stories that unpack foster children's complex emotional journeys should look elsewhere. Still, many kids will be buoyed by Chloe's happy ending. Chloe and one of the foster parents present Black; the other foster parent appears white, and the supporting cast is diverse. An uplifting, rose-colored story of the search for a forever home.(Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
