Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

The subtitle of this picture book says it all.A racially and ethnically diverse sampling of children exemplify the grief and discomfort that come with losing a parent to incarceration. Lacey's scared with one of her moms in jail; Rashid's mom is in jail for the second time; both Juana's mami and her papi are in prison, so she and her siblings are spread out among foster homes. Yen has hard questions only her mother can answer, so she mails them to her. Rafael must fend off intrusive questions from the other kids. In Birtha's direct, sympathetic text and Kastelic's muted pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, these children and more evince loneliness, anger, shame, and fear. Birtha gives them sympathetic adults, such as a coach who won't let Jermaine's teammates mock him and the teacher who listens to Atian, who's been acting out. Tips on talking to children with incarcerated parents and further resources are included in the backmatter; these, combined with the direct, role-modeling text, make this book as valuable for adult readers as it is for children. The purposeful inclusion of a white child and an Asian-American child helps to dispel stereotypes, while the inclusion of African-American and Latino children reflects U.S. prison demographics. Class disparities are only hinted at; the children are not obviously well-to-do but all seem to inhabit reasonably comfortable settings. With more than 2.7 million American children experiencing the incarceration of a parent, this book is a necessary one. (Picture book. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Having a parent in prison is a complicated matter, but Birtha's book re bibliotherapeutic than literary oughtfully tackles this topic. It clearly and gently explains to the reader, presumably a child with one or more incarcerated parents, a range of possible scenarios about how it feels. Drawing on her own experience, Birtha gilds the text with tenderness and affirmation so that all responses are rendered valid. Rashid is angry with is mother for breaking the law (and her promise not to). Juana misses her siblings, scattered among different families when both parents are arrested. Yen has so many questions and no way to ask. In addition to the children's feelings, we learn about the ways adults treat children with incarcerated parents: some with judgment, and others with kindness and friendship. The book ends with sage advice: talk to a trusted adult. Don't bottle anything up inside. Back matter includes strategies for adults about how to talk to children. Jacqueline Woodson's Visiting Day (2002) makes a nice fictional pairing for this book.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Lots of children have a parent behind bars.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

The subtitle of this picture book says it all.A racially and ethnically diverse sampling of children exemplify the grief and discomfort that come with losing a parent to incarceration. Lacey's scared with one of her moms in jail; Rashid's mom is in jail for the second time; both Juana's mami and her papi are in prison, so she and her siblings are spread out among foster homes. Yen has hard questions only her mother can answer, so she mails them to her. Rafael must fend off intrusive questions from the other kids. In Birtha's direct, sympathetic text and Kastelic's muted pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, these children and more evince loneliness, anger, shame, and fear. Birtha gives them sympathetic adults, such as a coach who won't let Jermaine's teammates mock him and the teacher who listens to Atian, who's been acting out. Tips on talking to children with incarcerated parents and further resources are included in the backmatter; these, combined with the direct, role-modeling text, make this book as valuable for adult readers as it is for children. The purposeful inclusion of a white child and an Asian-American child helps to dispel stereotypes, while the inclusion of African-American and Latino children reflects U.S. prison demographics. Class disparities are only hinted at; the children are not obviously well-to-do but all seem to inhabit reasonably comfortable settings. With more than 2.7 million American children experiencing the incarceration of a parent, this book is a necessary one. (Picture book. 4-8)