FICTION

Under the Lilacs

by E. B Goodale (text) & illus. by E. B. Goodale
HMH. Mar. 2020. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780358153931.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2–Kate feels ignored by her mother and sister and decides to run away. She leaves a note that explains what she’s doing—and that no one will ever see her again. But her far-off adventure takes her to none other than her own backyard, beneath the lilacs. Sticks and cardboard become the makings of her new home. Kate figures out how she can be sure to see her dog and cat, and then slowly begins to expand her space to include others. Soon enough, she is thinking of ways to have her mother and sister in her new home too, under the lilacs. Mixed media illustrations, with eye-catching pastels and ink drawings, complement the theme of finding a space of one’s own while still making room for those you love.
VERDICT Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Goodale succeeds in offering a contemplative and relatable work that affirms and reflects the complex emotional lives of young children. Recommended for most picture book collections.
Reviewed by Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY , Feb 01, 2020

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