Review by New York Times Review
AS AMERICA'S POSTWAR baby boomers grew up, dipped a toe or more in child psychology studies at college and started families of their own, children's book publishers took note of a new, pop cultural sensitivity to a wide array of developmentally-based childhood trials and tribulations. Picture books about potty training, tantrum throwing, the death of a pet and other emotionally charged topics proliferated, and were often shelved together at the library under the catchall heading of "bibliotherapy." Some authors explored these concerns more artfully than others. Judith Viorst ("Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day") and the late Charlotte Zolotow ("The Hating Book," "William's Doll") proved to be masters of the genre, their dry-eyed wit, empathic touch and story-telling prowess easily a match for their good intentions. Postwar Americans' extreme mobility was bound to make the angst associated with moving house another bibliotherapeutic flash point, and at least two such books of recent years remain standouts: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's tall-tale-ish "Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport," illustrated by Byron Barton, which catalogs - then dispels - a child's wildly exaggerated fears about his future home; and Bernard Waber's soulful "Ira Says Goodbye," a deft unpacking of the contradictory, bittersweet emotions felt by best friends who are being forced to part. New picture books continue to play out variations on this endlessly affecting theme. In "From There to Here," the Canadian writer Laurel Croza gives readers a free-standing sequel to the story she first told in her award-winning debut picture book, "I Know Here." The young girl who, in the earlier book, first dreads and then prepares herself for her family's relocation from the near wilderness of Saskatchewan to Toronto, now takes the measure of that change from the vantage point of her new home and enlarged perspective. Through a series of sensory-steeped, one-on-one contrasts called out and pictured on opposing pages, the girl (who also narrates) comes to realize that "different" is not necessarily "better" or "worse," and that she herself has the power to make her new surroundings not only acceptable but also satisfying. There is a travelogue aspect to Matt James's intensely hued expressionist paintings of the story's two locales. We are given just a few telling glimpses of Saskatchewan, as a child might piece them together in memory - a moose here, a raging brush fire there - and of Toronto's particular mix of small-town-like neighborhoods and grander structures. It is not a portrait, in the usual sense, of either place, yet readers will feel these immersive, dreamlike images have taken them somewhere far from home. In contrast, we never learn the whereabouts of Posy Peyton, the outspoken young protagonist of "The Good-Pie Party" - not where she lives or where she and her family are bound for - only that Posy would much rather stay where she is. Why wouldn't she? She has not just one but two best friends, with whom she happily bakes and does acrobatics. As pictured in Kady MacDonald Denton's casually elegant drawings, she lives in a nice house with nice toys and a pair of attentive parents. At 6 or 7, Posy has spread her wings and boldly embraced the world of her peers only to get slapped with the news that life can intrude in uncontrollable ways. She can perhaps be forgiven a moment of magical thinking as she stubbornly insists that by not saying "goodbye" to her friends she can keep their perfect world intact a while longer. The corny title pun points to the resilient plan with which Posy rebounds: her idea to host a farewell "good-pie" party for which she and her friends and family will bake the goodies, then gather for one last time. The book's author, Liz Garton Scanlon, suggests that young readers in Posy's predicament may likewise find it helpful to harness the comforting power of ritual in some such way. For Posy, it proves to be an inspired move. Lulling rhymes and rhythms reinforce the ritual impact of reading aloud Deborah Underwood's "Bad Bye, Good Bye" to a toddler or preschooler with a disruptive move on the horizon. Punched out in two-word bullet points, the text swiftly traces an emotional arc from anger at the initial chaos of packing ("Bad day/Bad box/Bad mop/Bad blocks"), to fitful curiosity and growing openness to change, and culminating in the welcome feeling of once again having securely settled in somewhere. On the text side, the action is played out in the adjectives, as the opening volley of one "bad" followed by another yields to a more finely nuanced and upbeat commentary: "Nice dog/Huge map/Smooth glass/Long nap." But if Underwood has plotted a young child's emotional crossing, Jonathan Bean ("Building Our House") has fleshed it out in subtly tinted, kinetic landscape scenes that have the richness of visual texture and dramatic incident of an adventure worth taking. Readers get to go along for the ride. Bean plays a nimble game with three-point perspective in these restless, shape-shifting graphics, in several of which he also introduces a sketchy, double-exposure-style under-layer of drawing meant to suggest the frazzled, out-of-sorts condition of being between homes. Seconding Underwood, he reassures the reader who may fear otherwise that the sharp pangs of displacement and loss brought on by a move do not last forever, not when there is so much else all around to see and be curious about. Points of interest dot the passing landscape of the long drive: windmills, water towers, grazing herds, an old-fashioned diner and kitschy road sign extravaganzas. The family's overnight at a motel comes with a refreshing swim and, better yet from the boy's perspective, an ice cube machine whose "on" lever is just the right height for him to operate. Young children do not often get to decide where they live, but they are old pros at choosing their own adventure when and where they can. As an avalanche of ice cubes comes clattering down, the boy with the satisfied grin who made it happen looks to be halfway home. LEONARD S. MARCUS is the author, most recently, of "Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing" and the curator of the New York Public Library exhibition "The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 29, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
Posy's good buddies Megan and Mae help her pack up her belongings for her family's upcoming move. Down in the dumps, Posy is mulling over Mom's suggestion of a good-bye party when inspiration strikes: she would prefer a good-pie party. A crowd of friends, young and old, come bearing pies for an evening of fun in the backyard. After the guests leave, Posy, Megan, and Mae lie on the grass, gazing at the moon, a pie they will still share even after Posy moves away. While most picture books about moving focus on fitting into the new neighborhood, this one concerns letting go of the old one. Precisely worded and nicely cadenced, the text reads aloud well. The natural-sounding dialogue gradually shifts in tone as Posy moves from sullen sadness to calm acceptance. Denton's illustrations ink drawings with watercolor washes portray characters as distinct individuals who are as expressive as dancers in their movements and gestures. Libraries may have dozens of picture books on moving, but few acknowledge the child's experience with such creativity and compassion.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Three girls hatch a plan to help make their parting truly sweet in a story that celebrates the bond of friendship while acknowledging the reality of transition. Posy Peyton is feeling blue, faced with moving away and leaving behind her two best friends, Megan and Mae. With most of the house boxed up, Posy sighs, "There's nothing to do but bake." Her friends seize on the idea, and the comforting culinary activity inspires a "good-pie" party to bid farewell (but not good-bye) to Posy's friends and neighbors. Shifting skillfully between realistic expressions of lamentation, camaraderie, and love, Scanlon (All the World) sustains a positive vibe while giving full weight to how upset Posy is. Denton (A Birthday for Bear) is equally agile as frowns gradually give way to warm smiles. There's a comforting realness to her ink-and-watercolor artwork-the girls look like real girls (and have real girls' bodies), and the scenes include the accessible details of an ordinary house and neighborhood, from mismatched lawn chairs to tacky kitchen flooring, that make a place feel special. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Posy Peyton is moving and is struggling with the inevitable separation from her best friends Megan and Mae. Posy sulks as the girls dismantle their clubhouse and is reluctant to follow the advice to cherish the time they have left. With everything but the kitchen packed, she impulsively decides to bake. Realizing that "Good pie is better than good-bye," she rallies the troops and invites friends and neighbors to come over, bring pie, and say, "so long." The pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings, soft in palette but with sharp angles and lines, illustrate the shifts in Posy's mood. This sweet, tender read is a good addition for those looking for books about moving.-Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Posy is feeling the moving blues. Lamenting her near departure, Posy and her two best friends decide to make a pie amidst the packed boxes. Inspired by their "hot, sweet, good pie" they elect to throw a "good-pie party" rather than a "good-bye" one. Soft, emotionally detailed ink and watercolor illustrations lighten up the stressful subject and capture the warmth of childhood friendship. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Posy Peyton does not want to move away from her secret clubhouse, her books, her bird feeder or her friends. Instead of a goodbye party, she and her friends have a good-pie party. Since everything is packed up except the kitchen, the three girls make a pie. They then invite neighbors and friends to a party to say so long (not goodbye). When everyone arrives with pies in hand, Posy and her friends replace their sadness with the joy of pie, whipped cream and lemonade. Building a giant pyramid of smiling children helps too. The party might not make the sadness disappear, but it does allow the friends some time to adjust to the new reality. Scanlon's gentle, child's-eye view of a common challenge hits the right notesthe move will happen, but memories link people forever. Denton's gentle, muted watercolors get at the girls' emotions with angry scowls and somber faces and extend the spare text. The furnished house transforms into empty rooms with tan boxes and bare walls, letting readers know the inevitability of the move. The final spreads, showing the pie-shaped moon, is a reminder that these friends will always share these special memories. A must for every child who has to move away and for teachers and parents who want to help children through these times. (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
