Review by Booklist Review
On a wintry forest hike with her mom, Emma spies a blue camping tent covered in snow. As they near, a gray-haired woman in a bulky yellow coat climbs out. The courteous, curious little girl notices that the woman looks tired and that her nose and cheeks are bright red. Emma introduces herself and asks, "Why are you out here?" Margaret answers, "I live here." Later, Emma's mom, a social worker, explains in child-friendly language why some people don't have houses: "Some people have lost their job. Some have a health problem. No one chooses to be homeless." Without judgment or didacticism, Emma and her mom bring Margaret gifts of food, clothing, and, most of all, kindness. Delaporte's warm illustrations capture the little girl's caring nature, such as when she shakes out coins from her savings jar to buy Margaret some necessities. In an endnote, journalist and debut picture-book author Davy shares the real-life inspiration for the story as well as thoughts on the complex issues of experiencing homelessness.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Hiking through woods with her mother, Emma is surprised to meet Margaret, a gray-haired woman who lives in a tent in the snow. Back home, Mom tells Emma, "Some people have lost their jobs. Some people have health problems. No one chooses to be homeless." Noticing that Margaret seems cold, the pair make repeated visits to the tent with gifts of food and warm clothes. Mom, a social worker, "calls several shelters" on Margaret's behalf, ultimately arranging stable housing for her. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, show the changing seasons and contrast Emma's warm home and Margaret's chilly tent. Mom and Margaret have fair skin, while Emma's appears a shade darker. Readers will relate to Emma's compassion and Mom's concern, but Margaret's own perspective is conspicuously absent, and the book ignores the fact that no one asks for Margaret's consent before intervening in her life. This well-meaning interference, and the happy ending it precipitates, undermine the book's attempt to show young readers that people experiencing homelessness are still, most importantly, people. VERDICT A compassionate and workmanlike story, though lacking important nuance.--Amy Reimann
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A blueprint for compassion in action. It's a frigid day in Cherry Hill Forest; powdery drifts blanket the ground, migrating geese honk overhead, and Emma and her mom, a social worker, stroll along a secluded trail. Emma stumbles upon a camping tent much like those she's seen in other parks. A woman emerges, and the trio exchange niceties before Emma asks her visibly chilled neighbor, "Don't you get cold?" Margaret's affirmative answer prompts mother and daughter to act, but when Mom's outreach efforts to neighborhood shelters yield few solutions, Emma takes matters into her own hands. Emptying her coin bank, she assembles a kit of essentials and, later, prepares a plate of Christmas dinner for Margaret, learning over a shared meal more about the experiences that have discouraged the woman from seeking placement in a shelter. Emma and her mother listen attentively, attuned to their own privilege; by the time winter arrives again, the pair have identified a potential new home for their friend, a gesture borne from informed empathy. Necessarily narrow in scope, this text offers a jumping-off point for further dialogue. Canadian journalist Davy offers a frank, age-appropriate introduction to housing insecurity, broaching complex systemic realities with digestible tenderness. Delaporte's appealing art, too, softens the challenging content without minimizing its impact. An author's note provides additional actionable context for the true story on which the book is based. Mom and Margaret are light-skinned; Emma is tan-skinned. An effective conversation starter.(Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
