WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE

In this new book from the creative duo behind Wherever You Go (2015), a child warily bids adieu to a beloved former home and summons the courage to embrace the new one.

A family says farewell to neighbors as they pack the last of their belongings into a car and trailer. In a mostly empty room, a pigtailed child holds a photo album. The family drives away from what was their home, and, visibly nostalgic, the child opens the photo album. Miller’s text, replete with musical pulses, evokes the emotional and trying journey: “Because some days are full of things you’d rather not do. // Like plunging into a pool all by yourself, hoping you’ll swim and not sink. / Or standing alone, in front of a crowd, searching for one friendly face.” The drive is a journey through busy city traffic then a somber, rainy forested range that culminates in hilly, coastal views. With mixed traditional media, Wheeler revels in color—dramatic, muted hues and warm glowing pages mirror the protagonist’s feelings. Graceful, sinuous artwork depicting various panoramas adorns mostly double-page spreads, encouraging readers to observe how the illustrations echo the verses. One dazzling spread cleverly uses stars, moon, and twilight to convey the protagonist’s brightness, bravery, and courage. Both child and family are racially ambiguous, with light skin and straight, dark hair.

For lovers of Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López’s The Day You Begin (2018), a sweet lesson on how to glow from the inside out.