What to Bring
by Lorna Schultz Nicholson (Author) Ellen Rooney (Illustrator)
A moving story about making tough choices when disaster strikes
Malia and her family are spending a day outside when they notice something strange. Huge white-and-gray clouds fill the sky, planes zoom overhead, and the air smells funny. A forest fire is sweeping the area, and they need to evacuate their home.
Daddy tells Malia that she needs to choose what to bring. "Pick small things. Things important to you," he says. But there's so much that Malia wants to take with her! Her pillows and blankets. Her family of teddy bears. LOTS of books. As the pile in her room grows, and chaos swirls around her, Malia comes to realize that what is most important to her won't fit in a backpack: her little brother, her cat, and her dog.
This heartfelt and powerful story explores a rare perspective: experiencing a natural disaster through the eyes of a child. Malia's authentic voice will resonate with readers, and the book's challenging subject matter is balanced with gentle lessons in communication, problem-solving, and family.
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--A picture book takes on a subject fraught with emotion: a fire is approaching and the family must evacuate. While the rest of her family frantically packs up a few belongings, Malia is all but paralyzed, and then overwhelmed with what she must take, which includes books, stuffies, blankets, pillows, and more. Her mother very gently reminds her that she can bring only important things, and Malia, with light brown skin and black bobbed hair, looking smaller by the minute, realizes that her backpack is too little for what's truly a priority. In one of the final spreads, Malia is content to be with her family and two pets (and two stuffies); the rest she'll carry in her heart. The overlaying of urgency and doom is never too dramatic; the author interlaces the necessity of forward motion with the wish to pause and reflect. The parents in this book act as a steadying force for their daughter as well as readers. The scenes are as straightforward as the work of Gail Gibbons and convey the distant fire in a threatening way, but not impossibly so. VERDICT With wildfires a fact of life, more children will be facing the question of what to bring. This book has some answers, but more, offers a forum for gentle preparation. A necessary title for young readers.--Kimberly Olson Fakih
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV029030 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Disasters
Picture books
Families
Emotions
Disasters
Disaster victims
Mood (Psychology)
Mood
