Brown, Lisa. Moving Book, The. Lisa Brown, Illus. Holiday House / Neal Porter, 07/2025. [40]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-0-8234-5718-2. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
A brother walks his concerned little sister through a history of family moves she is too young to remember. Each colorful spread is filled with myriad charming details. Spare text in the boy’s voice describes the pluses and minuses of each home—the nearby park with the friendly ducks and scary swan versus the many stairs and the cranky neighbors balanced by warm bagels. Readers will delight in tracking the growth of the kids and their pets, the rearrangement of treasured objects, and the amusing moments where the brother’s self-flattering recollections differ from the pictured reality. When the upcoming move is outlined, details that matter most to kids are centered. Thoughtful, mixed-media illustrations picture diverse neighborhoods and are sensitive to the fact that not every move is to a larger home. The biracial family, which appeared in both The Airport Book (2016) and The Hospital Book (2023) has a brown-skinned dad and children, and a pale-skinned mom. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired