From Publishers Weekly
Bunting (Smoky Night) tackles an aspect of divorce not usually discussed in children's books with this tale of two sisters whose grandparents decide to split up. Thunderstruck, five-year-old Jo-Jo announces, "I'm never going to eat again, until Grandma and Grandpa get undivorced"; later, she offers to pay her grandmother not to go through with it. Nora, the fourth-grade narrator, worries about the kind of changes her grandparents' decision will bring ("After my friend Fiona's parents got divorced, she never saw her dad again. I couldn't bear it if we never saw Grandpa"). With a great deal of reassurance, love and support from their family, the girls gradually adjust to the idea. Bunting sets her story during that bittersweet transitional time of year right before school starts, an effective device that creates an additional emotional layer (Nora, for instance, feels "doleful" not only about her grandparents, but also about the last ice cream of the summer, the last visit to the duck pond, etc.). Even with the sensitivity of the prose, however, the story has the engineered feeling of a "problem" book and is too wordy for the format. Low's (Chinatown) Photoshop-generated illustrations resemble an artful blend of watercolors and acrylics, and are as carefully and effectively lit as a stage setting. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 4-A beautifully illustrated picture book about coming to terms with divorce. As summer ends, Nora, a fourth grader, and Jo-Jo, a kindergartner, are upset when they hear about their maternal grandparents' impending divorce. Nora describes her own feelings as "doleful," a new word she has looked up. When they go to visit Grandma, the girls speak to Grandpa on the phone and make plans to see him. After talking to both grandparents, the sisters begin to adjust. Throughout the story, Bunting sensitively portrays the feelings and needs of all of the family members. The realistic illustrations, created using Photoshop, capture the vibrant colors of late-summer days and convey the closeness of this family. The strong emotions the girls are experiencing are reflected in their facial expressions and in the way they interact with one another. Although at times Nora seems a little too wise for her age, and the text is a bit long, this book will be helpful for adults who are looking for stories about divorce.-Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
