Still a Family: A Story about Homelessness - Hardcover

Reeves Sturgis, Brenda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807577073 ISBN 13: 9780807577073

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2017

Synopsis

New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2017

A family has fallen on hard times and are living in different homeless shelters. But even though they are separate, they are still a family.

A little girl and her parents have lost their home and must live in a homeless shelter. Even worse, due to a common shelter policy, her dad must live in a men's shelter, separated from her and her mom. Despite these circumstances, the family still finds time to be together. They meet at the park to play hide-and-seek, slide on slides, and pet puppies. While the young girl wishes for better days when her family is together again under a roof of their very own, she continues to remind herself that they're still a family even in times of separation.

About this title

About the Authors

Brenda Reeves Sturgis is the award-winning author of the picture books 10 Turkeys in the Road, The Lake Where Loon Lives, and Touchdown! This is her fifth book. She is a member of SCBWI and currently lives in Maine on a lovely little lake.

Jo-Shin Lee received a bachelor's degree in agricultural chemistry prior to earning a master's degree in children's book illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. She aspires to create interesting and educational picture books for children around the world. Jo-Shin lives in Taiwan.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Families are bound together by love, even when circumstances force them to live apart, affirms the young narrator of this story about a family struggling to rebuild their lives. The little girl matter-of-factly relates the challenges of being homeless, among them waiting in line at a soup kitchen, wearing too-small shoes, and not being able to live with both her parents. The biracial preschooler (her mother is brown-skinned, while her father has a light complexion) wishes her father didn't have to sleep separately at a shelter for men but knows that they are "still a family." The emphasis throughout is on the many ways the members of this family manage to find joy and comfort in one another, putting a human face on their plight. The family are portrayed with dignity and respect, as active agents rather than passive victims. In keeping with the first-person narration, Lee's illustrations evoke a child's crayon and watercolor drawings. Young readers who have not experienced homelessness will need an adult to help answer the many questions that arise, while those who have will find comfort in this gentle story. Pair with Lois Brandt's Maddi's Fridge and Matt de la Peña's Last Stop on Market Street. VERDICT This discussion starter offers a child's perspective on homelessness and a positive message of hope.—Laura Simeon, Open Window School Library, Bellevue, WA.

Edition details

• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0807577073
• ISBN 13: 9780807577073
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Lee Jo-Shin
• Number of pages: 32