FOREVER AND ALWAYS

All day long, a young Black girl hopes her father will return from work.

When Daddy, an EMT worker, gets home in the evening, he embraces Olivia, and his hugs feel like “one thousand I love yous.” Their mornings are filled with affectionate warnings for Daddy to be safe and careful. Like many Black family members across the United States, Olivia and her mother are filled with fear every time Daddy leaves. As they watch news stories of other fathers who didn’t make it home, time stretches on, creating an atmosphere of anxiety. Mother and daughter fill their days with distractions to make time go faster. After they eat breakfast, Momma styles Olivia’s hair. They draw pictures together, and Olivia braids a bracelet. Finally, Daddy returns home once more. From cover to cover, this book feels like a love song, with sheet music woven throughout the background. The digitally created art has a collagelike feel; deft use of shadow and texture makes the images appear almost three-dimensional in places. Tender and intimate, this is a book that will soothe children enduring the same worries as Olivia. In the author’s note, Thurman pays tribute to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and others who didn’t make it home; she offers a list of five suggestions for those worried about the safety of their own loved ones.

A balm for little ones grappling with harsh realities.