Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend

Starred review from November 18, 2013
Stanton (Papi’s Gift) shows remarkable empathy and restraint in the story of a boy named Henry Cooper, who explains how he divides his days between his mother’s apartment and his father’s house, “two and a half blocks away on West Woolsey Avenue.” Henry—whose red hair matches the crimson ears of his dog, Pomegranate—finds much to appreciate wherever he’s spending the night: the hallways of his mother’s building “smell like chapati, tortillas, and miso soup,” and she makes “perfect golden flapjacks.” Time with his father means piano playing and “perfect pepperoni pizza in his tomato-red kitchen.” In fact, it’s Pomegranate who always wants to go “home,” and after he runs away, readers discover what that means: “our old house,” says Henry. “The place where we all used to live together.” That revelation packs an enormous emotional wallop, but Henry’s calm understanding of his family’s situation, combined with his parents’ mutual amicability, provides a powerful example for real-life families. Meanwhile, Stanton’s artwork—a vibrant collage of acrylic and scraps of varied papers from around the globe—creates a deeply reassuring atmosphere of love and warmth. Ages 3–6.

February 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Young Henry and his dog, Pomegranate, travel from his mother's apartment to his father's house every other day. Children will notice the marked difference in the two places. Pomegranate notices as well. For instance, there is no place for a dog to dig at Papa's home. One day, the pup is missing, and Henry has a good idea where he might be found: his old house, "the place where we all used to live together." Average artwork of mixed media with bright acrylic paint and collage work of various textured scraps decorate the pages. In fact, some of the tiny scraps of words are cut from books of various languages, such as French or Spanish, which can be observed by keen eyes. Words such as "bueno" or "muy deliciosa" are inserted near the aromas wafting from the kitchen area throughout his mother's apartment. This book can fill a gap in collections because Stanton brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion with a simple understanding for children who live in two homes.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Preschool-G Henry lives with each of his parents two days a week and alternates three-day weekends. Both homes have advantages, such as Mama's Saturday-morning pancakes and Papa's Saturday-night spaghetti. Henry and his dog, Pomegranate, have beds in both places. One morning, Pomegranate is missing. After searching at both homes, Henry finds his dog at their old house a few blocks away. He plays with the new girl there before taking Pomegranate back home. Henry narrates the story in a straightforward, unemotional manner. Stanton's brightly colored artwork combines acrylic painting with collage elements, such as printed and painted papers. Created in a naive style, the illustrations are sometimes pleasing in their composition and use of line, while at other times, particularly when two different pictures meet at the center of a double-page spread, the effect is cluttered. Picture books with a similar theme include Claire Masurel's Two Homes (2001) and Marian De Smet's I Have Two Homes (2012).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)