The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Vander Zee, Ruth

Next Year: Hope in the Dust

32 pp. | Creative Editions | September, 2017 | Trade ISBN 978-1-56846-282-0 $18.99

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Kelley. Twelve-year-old Calvin's farming family endures drought, dust storms, and poverty during the Dust Bowl, clinging to the belief that "next year" will be better. Rain comes too late for his parents to remain, but now-sixteen-year-old Calvin stays to revitalize the farm, looking forward to "next year." The poignant, poetic text and atmospheric dust-hued illustrations serve as a paean to farmers' indomitable spirits.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg