Where Is My Sister? A Gentle Reflection on Sibling Loss

 Few books address a child's experience of death, although some are so well done they merit call backs HERE (elders) , HERE (pets) , and HERE (Siblings).

WHERE IS MY SISTER, written by Shannon Gibney and illustrated by Huy Von Lee,  takes on the least-addressed topic in death, that of a child lost at or before birth. The extreme shift from glowing anticipation to fierce loss is a brave emotional journey to attempt, and these creators achieved something special and noteworthy. 

University of Minnesota press, 2026

In this case, the rarely addressed topic of siblings/children who die at birth is presented with  gentle nuance and deeply resonant validation of the process of grieving such an impossible loss. The cover image and many of the illustrations reveal the tragedy and loss felt throughout the family, with the father and older brother seeking comfort in faith and hope and pursuit of the spirit of the lost Toni, the coming sister whose life was so lovingly anticipated. 

But even-younger Salome struggles with the WHERE of her missing sister, not the why or how such a loss could have happened. This is quest story, Salome's quest is to find and keep her sister close at hand. Longing to believe that Toni might hear a story she reads aloud, that she is part of the family circle-hug, that she surrounds each of them throughout their day is reflected as "somewhat" satisfying when we see the final illustrations in which Salome's expression still holds sadness, but the prospect of better days and acceptance is evident. The strength of family loving resonates throughout the text and images.

I particularly appreciated that each member of the family was allowed a spread or more to suggest their personal journeys through their loss, with Mom clearly struggling the most. As in THE RABBIT LISTENED, among my all-time favorite picture books, Salome senses the value of simply staying near her mother, catching a tear and clinging to the hope that it might hold a bit of her baby sister Toni in its salty essence. 

This is certainly an ideal book for any family dealing with such an indescribable loss. As with so many other powerful books on difficult topics, it is also a superb book to share with everyone, since the experience is both heartbreakingly specific (building empathy) and also metaphorical about any tragic loss after extended anticipation and hope. That comparison is not meant to diminish the immeasurable suffering of families facing the loss of an expected child. It is meant to to suggest that everyone carries loss in different ways, and this book offers a loving portrayal of nonjudgmental and potentially helpful ways to struggle through painful times. 

This is not an upbeat or easy read, but it is one that opens conversations about deep feelings, especially among very young audiences. It does nothing to "fix" anyone else's loss, other than than to suggest that none of us are alone, and seeing the possibility of deep sadness in others can only make us better at being human to, and for, those around us as they experience  their journeys.

All EYES on Jon Klassen's BOARD BOOK Series

 Creator Jon Klassen has firmly established his style and successful track record in making distinctly, quirkily appealing picture books (His I WANT MY HAT BACK series, TRIANGLE, and so many others). In each case, the storytelling melds words and seemingly simple illustrations in ways that speak to audiences of every age, and that includes toddlers and adults. regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the narrative. In every case, his stylized eyes play a major role in the success of the storytelling and emotional journeys within the covers of the books.. 

In a recent board book series, each title of the sturdy and perfectly-sized books is populated by inanimate objects with their own sets of eyes. In each title the language pattern and story sequence follows a predictable template after reading even one. Despite seeming simplicity, each manages to introduce little ones to the power of narrative, its anticipated sequences, the comfort of a satisfying conclusion, and the ability to generate new meanings from otherwise familiar onbjects.

The series titles each feature YOUR.... followed by a noun/naming word that sets the stage for a little mini-drama within the few pages involved.

Candlewick Press 2026

Candlewick Press 2025

YOUR PLACES includes YOUR FARM, YOUR FOREST, and YOUR ISLAND, while the latest title, YOUR TRUCK, explores experiences of ownership, connection, and more. As the press summary describes, 

"Building on the quiet but evocative world he created

in Your Farm, Your Forest, and Your Island, Jon

Klassen invites young children to consider more

things that are theirs and theirs alone, reinforcing

that they have a right to solitude, exploration, and

companionship."

In every case the journey from opening page to closing is one of accumulative elements, arrangement options in relationship to the other elements, using simple language that depicts both obvious and imaginative traits (a fire that never grows out) and illustrations that are minimalist but also have depth and character. And those eyes. The few page turns needed to assemble a scene or connections lead to a shift toward sunset, the eyes closing, and night time. 

The power of these entertaining, conceptually complex, and magically simple books encourage engagement, awareness of language patterns, easy acquisition of basic concept words (orally and in print) while the dramatic significance of YOUR throughout the titles and lines assures that the child will feel full ownership of the story, the process of narrative, predictive capacity, and a sense of comfort within the world of books. 

In recent months I've focused on picture books for emerging and established readers, but that was not meant to diminish the layered and lovely importance off books for the youngest audiences. Even if you have no little ones in your lives, include a peek at these at your next library or bookstore stop. And if you DO have little ones in your life, make sure these are among their very own bookshelves. 

WOODY'S WORDS: Remember WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS?

 The author of that timeless novel for young readers was Woodrow Wilson Rawls, the "Woody" in the title of this picture book. WOODY'S WORDS: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and WHERE THE RED FERN RED FERN GROWS is a biography of the author, but also a celebration of the power of reading and writing. Actually, the focus is on a boy-grown-to-man and his drive to tell stories. Reading books changed his young life, and he vowed, "I don't care how long it takes me or what I have to do. Someday I will write a book, and it will have a dog in it." That powerful quotation appears on the title page in this picture book written by Lisa Rogers and illustrated by Susan Reagan. 

CALKINS CREEK BOOKS, 2025

I can hardly imagine that anyone raised in this country has not read (or heard aloud, or watched on film) WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. It is, indeed, a book, and it does, most certainly, center on a dog ands a boy. Woody's ancestors were Cherokee, and he grew up on family land assigned to those ancestors when they were relocated from their own territories. 

His education was at his mother's knee, and not only in simple reading and writing and arithmetic. When she first read a novel aloud to him, (The Call of the Wild) it transformed his sense of purpose. The simple and accessible narrative text  in this biography reveals Woody's deep engagement in rereading that book and then in writing and rewriting the world as he lived it, even when his available tools were limited to scratching words into soft mud with the point of a stick. For anyone who says it takes time and patience to become the kind of writer and storyteller who can win hearts, they could have been speaking about Woody.

Woody grew up in hard times and spent many young (and later) years bumming from town to town, from jail cell to jail cell, suffering from a lack of food or money but never lacking a good heart. No matter where or in what conditions he found himself, the stories moved through his mind and onto the page, even when those pages were soiled paper bags. He kept his attempts for many years, until he met and married.

He was so ashamed of what he considered his poor efforts that he burned all of the saved writings rather than show them to the woman he loved. After eventually confessing his need and desire to write a book, Sophie worked with him, correcting spelling and polishing some sentences. That finally-ready manuscript became a book, and he wanted people to read it. In his folksy, plain-spoken way, he visited schools and libraries and met readers where they were. Once he talked about his youth and his effort (over forty years) to produce a story of a boy, his dog, and life in the country, readers sought out his book and joined him in the story.

The account of Woody and Sophie and their eventual success is both heartwarming and inspiring. Back matter provides more details, as well as photographs of  moments before and after his book became an all-time success.  His next book, SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS, also featured a boy and his dog. Both books sold millions of copies.  Multiple pages of resources and research references attest to the depth of story-searching by Rogers. The illustrator's colors, sweeps of landscape, and suggestions of struggle have captured an authentic sense of rural life in the era and the yearning within a boy/man who had  something to say. It was clear with every word and image that Woody felt inadequate as a writer, but never gave up on his dream to share his stories in a way that made them last. 

Rogers wrote a dedication that hints at how moved she was by the storytelling drive of Rawls: 

"For those who have stories to tell and the librarians who celebrate them" then named several important librarians from her own life.

The structure of this narrative and account of Rawls's life holds no surprises, but the direct and simple language and sequential revelations of his persistence and outreach are best suited to this simple and plainspoken man. It mirrors the steady pace of his personal journey and the glowing satisfaction of his eventual success. 

WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS has been a part of my literary life, but now Woody brings me back to reread it and to wonder at his determination and at the satisfaction he was finally able to achieve. 

TAKING FLIGHT: Experience Displacement and Refugee Life

DIAL BOOKS, 2026

 TAKING FLIGHT is written by Kashmira Sheth and illustrated by Nicoló Carozzi. journey stories and family travel are appealing topics in picture books, and I was eager to read this one. I was also not sure what to expect. Kashmira Sheth is a writer whose work I know well, including her picture books, middle grade, and more. She brings to her work both personal and investigative backgrounds and culture that enlarge and enrich the general range of topics in children's literature. With that in mind, I expected this to be more than just a journey story, and i was not disappointed.

Using direct address to the reader (you) as if they are living the experiences, she introduces three families. One is departing a highland home with snowy peaks, another "you"  is leaving behind sprawling cotton fields and a village full of friends, while a third family is escaping their bombarded urban home. From that sudden but heartfelt opening, the three characters that embody "you" appear throughout, facing similar struggles that refugees face.

Hunger. 

Thirst.

Exhaustion,

Finding, instead of homes, makeshift tents with minimal  provisions.

Travel by plane, boat, bus... into an unknown.

Small in relation to their own adults, to the surrounding, to the great differences and worries.

NEW should be exciting, but instead requires courage for more struggles ahead, including language and insertion into a classroom or playground of strangers. 

Simple acts of kindness are revealed, activities that spark recognition and hope.

The strength of these children remains the focus of the text and illustrations. The transitions are revealed realistically but not melodramatically. The reasons behind relocation aren't addressed directly. Yet the strength of minimal text and subdued but sensitive illustrations reveal so much.

Adults who share the book with children in homes, classrooms, libraries may want to extend some geography lessons and political ones as well, offering ideas about the where and why of such changes. Children/audiences might well contribute their own awareness of such travels. 

As a story standing on its own, this is powerful and engaging, deeply moving and hopeful. 

As an example of universal experiences and needs, it is priceless.