When bad news breaks on TV, a worried girl determines to help but soon realizes she can't change the situation. Here, Reul's art takes on a gloomy tone. But when the girl realizes that she can perform small acts of caring, the illustrations brighten. Finally, she spurs her parents to join her in taking action: planting and nurturing flowers for the whole neighborhood, tangible symbols of hope.

With bad news in the air, Mom is glued to the television, and Dad is constantly checking his phone; it is up to the children to remind them they are still there.As the book starts, a family of four—mother, father, and two children—is engaged with planting seeds at the kitchen table. They are all depicted with brown skin and enormous, outsized eyes. When bad news breaks on the TV, everyone's life is turned upside down. The grown-ups all around are clearly overwhelmed, and all the children in school reflect this in their sad and scared faces. In this unsettling atmosphere the tables are turned, and it is up to the young protagonist to help the grown-ups. After some clowning around, a promise of a force field to protect them, and doing the dishes fail to bring the desired effect, a series of smaller good deeds does the trick. What stands out in the mixed-media illustrations are the enormous eyes, which at times give the characters an outright scary look. It is hard to decide whether this story is intended for adults, reminding them of their responsibility toward children in times of trouble; or for children, empowering them to take action when the adults in their lives fail them.This disquieting story may be best used as a discussion starter. (Picture book. 5-8)

Something bad-really bad-has happened in the world. -Mom is glued to the television. Dad can-t stop checking his phone,- says the narrator, a girl with a little brother. The next day, the school bus feels dark and cavernous, with kids anxiously peering over their seats at their friends. In her picture-book debut, Ruel doesn-t specify the nature of the event, but her astutely composed, wonderfully sympathetic cartoon-style drawings capture how kids are impacted by worried and distracted adults, and how it feels to be small in the face of something too big to grasp. Ruel also understands that many readers will yearn to feel some sense of agency; the narrator decides she wants to -help in a BIG way- and tries to cheer up the worried, sleepless adults around her. She soon realizes, however, that while people can-t turn off their feelings, small acts of kindness-reading to her brother, cheering up the dog, brightening up her block with plants-can make a difference. -Small things don-t solve everything,- she says. -The bad news is still there. But then again... so are we.- Featuring a multi-ethnic neighborhood of individuals connected-for better or worse- through their shared disquiet, this is a wise and timely book. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (May)