The Horn Book Guide

PRESCHOOL

Minchella, Nancy

Mama Will Be Home Soon

32 pp. | Scholastic | May, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-439-38491-5 $$15.95

(4) PS Illustrated by Keiko Narahashi. Lili's mother, who wears a yellow hat, leaves Lili with her grandmother for several days. Because Lili has no sense of time, she thinks she sees her mother whenever she spots something yellow in the distance. Children (and parents) grappling with separation issues will find this nuanced, clearheaded story reassuring. The watercolor illustrations, while executed with care, feature a cast with regrettably doughy facial characteristics.

Reviewer: Nell Beram