The Breaking News

PreS-Gr 2--While the bad news that begins this story remains a mystery, the anxiety that this family of color faces is clear. The parents are distraught and following something closely on their devices while the children pick up on their anxiety. They try to be well behaved but are disappointed when their actions go unnoticed. A big effort seems overwhelming, so the brother/sister duo try to change things in small ways, like watering a drooping plant. When it perks back up, the parents notice and help them build on that small thing by making tiny potted plants together as a family to hand out to their neighborhood. With simple language that names emotions, the narrative identifies the helplessness children feel when something happens that they are too small to understand or change. VERDICT The ambiguous nature of the circumstances makes this title appropriate for many situations children face in today's never-ending news cycle. An absolute-must for most libraries.--Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Something bad--really bad--has happened in the world. "Mom is glued to the television. Dad can't stop checking his phone," says the narrator, a girl with a little brother. The next day, the school bus feels dark and cavernous, with kids anxiously peering over their seats at their friends. In her picture-book debut, Ruel doesn't specify the nature of the event, but her astutely composed, wonderfully sympathetic cartoon-style drawings capture how kids are impacted by worried and distracted adults, and how it feels to be small in the face of something too big to grasp. Ruel also understands that many readers will yearn to feel some sense of agency; the narrator decides she wants to "help in a BIG way" and tries to cheer up the worried, sleepless adults around her. She soon realizes, however, that while people can't turn off their feelings, small acts of kindness--reading to her brother, cheering up the dog, brightening up her block with plants--can make a difference. "Small things don't solve everything," she says. "The bad news is still there. But then again... so are we." Featuring a multi-ethnic neighborhood of individuals connected--for better or worse-- through their shared disquiet, this is a wise and timely book. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (May)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Picture Books of 2018 selection

Featuring a multi-ethnic neighborhood of individuals connected—for better or worse—through their shared disquiet, this is a wise and timely book. - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

A "timely text" with "emotions...sensitively portrayed throughout... Affirming the resilience that can result when small acts are focused on community." - The New York Times

This take on post-tragedy response delicately blends respect for sadness and the magnitude of tragedy with an actionable focus on the value of "one small thing" as a response. - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The ambiguous nature of the circumstances makes [The Breaking News] appropriate for many situations children face in today's never-ending news cycle. An absolute-must for...libraries. - School Library Journal