(2) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Lauffer. Illustrated by Julie Völk. If you leave pieces of yourself behind in a place you love, how can you help yourself feel whole in a new home? This story's protagonist is a little girl who is going to "fly in an airplane to another country and live in a new house there." There are so many things she doesn't want to leave behind--an aquarium; the wooden chair her grandpa made for her; the pear tree outside her house; her bus driver and school bus; her best friend--but none will fit into her small suitcase. Looking at the ocean, the only thing that she doesn't have to take with her because "it's everywhere," she realizes that these favorite things can still join her in her new home by being in her heart--by becoming her favorite memories. Völk brings Sarihi's simple but heartening story to life through beautiful graphite and colored-pencil illustrations set against generous white space. The softly colored art complements the text by blending the little girl's imagination with reality. (In one double-page spread, the girl stands in front of suitcases that are the same size as the city's buildings.) Staying true to its childlike perspective, this book offers the opportunity to explore and discuss themes of change, resilience, permanence, and connection.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020