“Bad truck, bad guy; bad wave, bad bye . . .” A boy and his family are packing up their old home, and the morning feels scary and sad. But when he arrives at his new home, an evening of good byes awaits: bye to new friends, bye to glowing fireflies, bye to climbing trees. The New York Times bestselling author Deborah Underwood's spare text and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Jonathan Bean's lush, layered illustrations perfectly capture the complex emotions of moving day. The child-centric transition from dreary morning to cheerful evening comforts young readers facing big changes of their own.
"Underwood's simple, understated text. . . combines with Bean's expressive ink-and-watercolors to convey a child's visceral, emotional perspective on a long-distance move."
—Booklist, starred review
"Underwood’s ultra-succinct verse hits all the emotional marks that go along with a big transition…Bean, meanwhile, seems to take the topic to heart by moving in a new direction himself. He does wonderful things with light, starting with a gloomy rain scene and ending with soft, welcoming twilight."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This is a useful depiction of a family's physical move, but the strength is in the emotional journey that's expressed with a raw honesty."
—Kirkus
"Concisely chosen, two-word phrases accompany the atmospheric illustrations, which aptly portray the youngster's changing emotions and tell the complete story."
—School Library Journal
"This is a lovely portrayal of a child experiencing change as well as a graceful example of spare storytelling."
—Bulletin
