Still a Family

December 12, 2016
A girl with brown braids keeps her chin up while living in a shelter with her mother. “My dad lives in a different shelter, down another street,” she explains, adding (in what becomes the book’s refrain), “But we are still a family.” Sturgis (The Lake Where Loon Lives) doesn’t ignore the girl’s desires for stability and a permanent home (“I miss my quiet room, my comfy bed, and my cozy quilt”) but shows how the family members support each other, exchanging modest gifts, waiting together in long soup kitchen lines, and celebrating the girl’s birthday with a cupcake and a wish. Lee, in her U.S. debut, uses a mix of media to create rough, childlike scenes that givethe sense that the girl is both telling and illustrating her story. With an estimated 2.5 million children homeless in the U.S., this is an empathic and valuable book, both for families without a home and for those in a position to help; an author’s note and list of resources offers suggestions for how readers can do just that. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary.

February 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Families are bound together by love, even when circumstances force them to live apart, affirms the young narrator of this story about a family struggling to rebuild their lives. The little girl matter-of-factly relates the challenges of being homeless, among them waiting in line at a soup kitchen, wearing too-small shoes, and not being able to live with both her parents. The biracial preschooler (her mother is brown-skinned, while her father has a light complexion) wishes her father didn't have to sleep separately at a shelter for men but knows that they are "still a family." The emphasis throughout is on the many ways the members of this family manage to find joy and comfort in one another, putting a human face on their plight. The family are portrayed with dignity and respect, as active agents rather than passive victims. In keeping with the first-person narration, Lee's illustrations evoke a child's crayon and watercolor drawings. Young readers who have not experienced homelessness will need an adult to help answer the many questions that arise, while those who have will find comfort in this gentle story. Pair with Lois Brandt's Maddi's Fridge and Matt de la Pena's Last Stop on Market Street. VERDICT This discussion starter offers a child's perspective on homelessness and a positive message of hope.-Laura Simeon, Open Window School Library, Bellevue, WA.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
A preschool-age girl copes with living in a homeless shelter with her mother and without her father, who is housed in a different shelter. Sturgis' first-person text is paired with Lee's naive illustration style to deliver an effective and affecting account from the protagonist's perspective. The father in the family appears to be a white man, while the mother's darker brown skin indicates that she is a woman of color, and the girl's skin tone is most like her father's. The text repeatedly underscore's the title's message that they are "still a family" even though they must live separately in different shelters. The story depicts ways they stay connected with visits to the park, meals at a soup kitchen, and shared co-parenting while the adults alternate caring for their young daughter and looking for work. Throughout, the girl's doll provides a sense of comfort and consistency. While there is no happily-ever-after resolution, the ending has a hopeful note as the family marks their daughter's birthday and the text re-emphasizes the title's message. An author's note and resource list in the backmatter round out the book with context for readers. A sensitive and necessary picture book to provide comfort and raise awareness and empathy. (Picture book. 4-8)

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