A picture book from the perspective of a white young girl whose older brother is in prison builds to this reveal partway through; at first readers and listeners only know he’s away, and the girl misses him. She remembers how he used to hold her on his shoulders to look at the stars; he read to her; he sometimes called her “silly goose.” And she lies when someone asks her where he is. But one day a girl at school says, “I saw your brother on the news … He did something bad.” A flood of other feelings rise; the girl is mad at her brother for doing a bad thing that meant he had to go away. Her parents listen and comfort and say they’ll be going to see her brother soon. The girl isn’t sure what to expect on the visit, and she wonders if she’s grown, and whether he’ll remember her. Then he comes through a door. “There’s my silly goose,” he says, wrapping her in a hug. A quiet, deeply felt story that leaves space for children to connect and fill in blanks in ways that work for them also offers reassurance, including the girl’s realization that she isn’t the only one whose brother (or father, or uncle) is away. The author writes that her own brother was in prison during much of her childhood in a note that follows this much-needed picture book. Honor Book, 2023 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center (Ages 4-8)

In this moving picture book, a young girl reflects on the emotions and challenges of growing up with a brother who is incarcerated. This touching story is filled with vivid illustrations and is based on the author’s childhood experiences.

An NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book • NPR Best Book of the Year • A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book

With her older brother in prison, a young girl copes with the confusing feelings his absence creates. At times she remembers the way her brother would carry her on his shoulders or how he would make up stories to tell her at bedtime. Other times she feels angry and wants to fly so far away that she can forget what happened.

When her Mama and Daddy take her on the 500-mile journey to visit him, a trip she knows not all families are able to make, the girl is excited but also nervous. But the nerves turn to joy when she sees him—everything is different, but everything is the same too. Her brother is not home, but his love hasn’t changed.

With words that are spare, gentle, and reassuring, this picture book will help young readers with similar stories feel less alone and give other readers a window into the struggles some children face.