moving

2 Helpful New Picture Books about Homes

| Tasha

The Moving Book by Lisa Brown

Publisher: Neal Porter Books

Publication Date: July 22, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9780823457182

The author of The Airport Book and The Hospital Book returns with another book about a turning point in a child’s life. Told by an older sibling, the book shares a list of the places that their family has lived in. Before the younger sister was born, they lived in a tiny apartment with their grandfather downstairs. They moved to a tall apartment building with lots of stairs. Next came a larger apartment in a building with elevators near the museum. Finally, their current house where they had their own bedrooms. Now it’s time for another move, this time to a place with their grandfather. 

Brown captures something I rarely see in picture books, the fact that many families move multiple times as children grow up. Each of the places they lived had something special about it from a child’s point of view: a great playground, warm bagels, a nearby museum, a grandparent right next door. The illustrations capture the packing and unpacking of boxes, the search for favorite toys, and the family working together no matter where they live. 

A warm and lovely look at more than one move. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Song for Two Homes by Dr. Michael Datcher and Charly Palmer 

Publisher: Random House Studio

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9780593429365

When Auset’s parents divorce, her world splits into two. Happily, she has Sweet Honey in the Rock and Bob Marley to help her. Auset tries going to a therapist, but finds her stuffed dolphin a much better listener. Auset is doing OK at school, keeping up appearances and not showing how hurt and angry she is. Except that one time when she hit a kid at school and made him cry. Auset doesn’t tell her mother the truth, pretending to be OK. Luckily she can talk to her dad more honestly. It takes a lot of songs, love and honesty to try to get through suddenly having two homes.

Told in verse, this picture book beautifully shares the emotions of having parents divorce and the direct impact it has on a child. Auset is wonderfully both herself and also speaks universally of the journey involved in divorce and loss. The use of verse captures emotions and relationships, struggles and triumphs. The acrylic art is vibrant and depicts Auset’s feelings clearly. 

A moving picture book about divorce and families. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

The House That Floated by Guojing – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The House That Floated by Guojing (9780593709054)

In a tiny red house on the edge of a cliff above the sea lives a little family. They spend their days fishing and rescuing dolphins from nets at sea and then carving fish figures at home. When a huge storm comes, the water almost reaches the house! The family work together to get the small house onto a handmade raft and leave their beloved space behind. They reach an even higher cliffside and the house is hoisted up to a new green-filled space where they can now live.

This wordless picture book takes its time to show the closeness of the family unit, how they spend their quiet days together. Because of that, the storm’s arrival is jarring in the best possible way, shaking the reader out of the bliss that was their home. The book stays fantastical in some ways with the house on the raft and the lifting of it to a new site, but there is also a definite tie to our world facing climate change and dangerous weather that move people to new places where we hope they will feel welcomed and safe.

Wordless and profound. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Random House Studio.

Anything by Rebecca Stead – Book Review

| Tasha

Anything by Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Gracey Zhang (9781797215150)

A little girl and her father move into a new apartment. She wishes that they had never moved there, missing the house they had to leave. They celebrate the new apartment 3B’s birthday with chocolate cake. The girl wishes on the candle for three “anythings.” Her first anything wish is that her room have a rainbow. Her second after a day of unpacking and new plants is for pizza for dinner. Her third comes after a night of not being able to sleep well and her father walking her to sleep. What could her last anything be?

Beautifully told with true moments of warmth and love between the characters, this picture book is a hug of a read. The illustrations are done in simple lines with bursts of colors, capturing the connection between parent and child. Well worth a wish for anything. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.

HOME IS A WISH BY JULIA KUO

| Tasha
Home Is a Wish bookcover

Home Is a Wish by Julia Kuo (9781250881328)

A young girl moves to a different place with her mother and grandmother, taking a plane and a car. Throughout there is a connection to nature, birds pass windows and fish surge in the water. But the sounds are different at her new home and so are the customs and rules. Slowly, new friends are made and a new home is formed.

With illustrations that are an enticing blend of vintage lines and modern color, this book speaks to tradition and family but also new possibilities in both its story and art style.

Appropriate for ages 3-7.

Reviewed from e-galley.

A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks

| Tasha
Cover image for A Soft Place to Land.

A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks (9780062875877)

Joy has had to move with her family from their beloved house into an apartment, since her father lost his job. Other things have changed too, like sharing a room with her little sister and being able to hear her parents argue clearly through the thin walls. Joy also had to give up her piano lessons, since they can’t afford them any more. So her plans to be a composer for movies have been put on hold. She also has to start a new school, but luckily she meets a very friendly new neighbor who goes to her school too. Nora also shares the secret Hideout that all of the kids in the building use to escape their small apartments. It’s top secret and no adults even know the room exists. Joy and Nora also start their own dog walking business for residents of the apartment. But when disaster strikes, Joy may lose it all: the business, the hide out and all of her friends.

The author of From the Desk of Zoe Washington returns with her second book. This novel explores socioeconomic layers from the point of view of a girl caught in the midst of difficult life changes that she has no control over. Written with a deep empathy for young people and the difficulties they face, the book also mixes in humor and a strong sense of larger community that keeps it from being overly dark. The book offers a couple of moments of mystery, where Joy must figure out what happened to one of the dogs and another where she has been exchanging messages with someone who may be in trouble.

Throughout it is clear that even though some things may be outside of Joy’s control, she has agency to make some changes and choices. Joy is a great character, one who could have become sullen and shut down in the face of the situation, but instead makes new friends and finds a way forward. She is a character full of caring for others, always helping out her sister, trying to fix friendships, and in the end solving the mysteries and finding a solution for a hideout that works for the adults too.

Friendship, families and finding your way are central in this middle grade novel. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Katherine Tegen Books.

Goodbye Old House by Margaret Wild

| Tasha
Cover image for Goodbye, Old House.

Goodbye, Old House by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ann James (9781736226452)

A child knows they are moving, so proceeds to say goodbye to their old home. It’s the last time they will fish in the river, the last time to run through the trees, the last time to pet this pony. It’s the last time to lay by this fire, the last time to sleep in this house. They say goodbye to each room from the hall, leaving a message for the new owners on the wall. Then it’s time for a lot of first moments. The first time to jump over these cracks, the first time to push open the gate, and the first time entering the new house. They say hello to all of the new rooms from the hall. They discover a window seat in their new room, complete with a message from the previous child who lived there.

Wild is a master storyteller. In this picture book she takes very simple lines of farewell and discovery and turns them into a story that is immensely poignant. The angst of moving, of losing all the beloved elements of your life comes full circle here as the child celebrates the current moment of firsts and hellos to their new home. The text is utter simplicity, allowing the emotions to come through without being described at all.

The illustrations by James are captivating. She shows the androgynous child and their homes in stark black and white with engaging expressions and body language. Beyond the windows of the homes and outside, the world is awash is color from the watercolor of the flowing river to the sun on the hills to the orangey tones of the new home.

A moving book that takes time to deal with goodbyes but also celebrates new discoveries too. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Blue Dot Kids Press.

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner

| Tasha
Cover image for Long Distance.

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner (9781534455665)

The author of Fake Blood returns with another fantastical graphic novel. Vega’s parents have moved her from Portland to Seattle, leaving behind her best friend. Vega loves astronomy, something she shared with her best friend. She still has her telescope, but no one to watch the stars with. To help her transition to her new home, Vega’s parents send her off to a summer camp designed to help her make new friends. Vega isn’t interested in making new friends, so she is stand offish to the other kids. As things around camp get stranger, including a camper who changes his appearance regularly to try to make friends, rocks that are speakers, no cellphone service, and really strange food, Vega must join forces with the other campers to figure out what is actually going on.

Gardner’s middle-grade graphic novel is a genuine look at moving away from friends and the struggle to regain your footing and make new ones. Gardner though takes it much farther explaining the weirdness of all summer camp experiences in a fresh way. When all is revealed at the end of the book, readers will have the satisfaction of having figured it out along with Vega and the other characters. The pacing of the different elements is nicely done as is the consistent look at loneliness and friendship throughout.

Gardner’s art style is bold and clear. She offers readers a diverse cast of characters, including Vega herself who is a character of color and also has two fathers for parents. The format feels larger than most with some of the images taking up the entire page with great impact. The entire book feels effortlessly modern.

A perfect summer read, particularly for those who have done summer camps. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman

| Tasha
Cover image for Dear Treefrog.

Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Diana Sudyka (9780358064763)

When a girl moves to a new home, she hides in the garden and discovers a treefrog there. When she watches how still the frog is, she slows down too. Looking closely at the frog, she notices his sticky toes and long feet. Iin order to find the frog, she has to take deep breaths and look closely. The frog helps her feel less lonely. He hides when a group of kids visits, something that the girl is thankful for since they were loud and trampled the garden. When a storm blows through, the frog not only survives it but is refreshed by the water. Heading to school, the girl curls up like a frog on her yoga mat. That’s when she meets a classmate who is quiet too, someone she can trust to show the treefrog, another friend.

Told in a series of poems, this picture book is a stellar mix of verse, exploring nature, and treefrog information. The verse is from the little girl’s perspective and readers get to know her quiet well as she is worried at first about the move, finds solace in the treefrog in her garden, and eventually is brave enough to make a new friend who is thoughtful too and wants to spend time outside watching. The treefrog facts are offered in the corner of the page, supported by each poem and celebrating the unique elements of this creature.

The illustrations by Sudyka are lush and full of green. They show a wild garden by the house with plants taller than the girl herself. The frog is there for readers to know on the first pages. The garden frames the girl and frog with plants and greenery, offering them an almost tropical paradise in which to form their friendship.

Fantastic froggy friendship and facts. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina

| Tasha

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez (9781536207040)

Evelyn and Daniela are best friends. Evelyn tries to act like today is just like any other day, but it’s not. Daniela goes across the street to find a big truck getting filled with boxes and their furniture. The two climb the stairs two at a time, the way they always do. They go past Evelyn’s neighbors who they know so well, into the apartment which is a twin of where Daniela lives across the street. The furniture is all packed and just a few boxes are left, so the girls play in an empty box until it is time for Evelyn to go. In the empty apartment they spin together, then discover stickers to share. A heart pressed to a cheek to seal the promise of a future visit together. Then it is time to go, knowing they will always be best friends.

Medina proves here that she can write just as beautifully for preschoolers and elementary age as she does for older readers. Focusing on the long goodbye, this picture book shows how farewells can be done with smiles and promises. Medina invites us into their shared imaginative play, the joy of big empty boxes, the pleasure of hiding from adults together, and finally the sadness of goodbyes. The twinning of the two girls with their similar apartments and attitudes works so well here, showing their connection in a physical way.

Sanchez’s art is glorious. Full of the deepest of colors, saturated reds and oranges, cool blues and greens. They are paired with textures of wallpaper, cardboard corrugations, red bricks, and floorboards. This is an entire world of apartments and friendship.

A great picture book with an empowering final page. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Candlewick.