PreS-Gr 2 —A picture book takes on a subject fraught with emotion: a fire is approaching and the family must evacuate. While the rest of her family frantically packs up a few belongings, Malia is all but paralyzed, and then overwhelmed with what she must take, which includes books, stuffies, blankets, pillows, and more. Her mother very gently reminds her that she can bring only important things, and Malia, with light brown skin and black bobbed hair, looking smaller by the minute, realizes that her backpack is too little for what's truly a priority. In one of the final spreads, Malia is content to be with her family and two pets (and two stuffies); the rest she'll carry in her heart. The overlaying of urgency and doom is never too dramatic; the author interlaces the necessity of forward motion with the wish to pause and reflect. The parents in this book act as a steadying force for their daughter as well as readers. The scenes are as straightforward as the work of Gail Gibbons and convey the distant fire in a threatening way, but not impossibly so. VERDICT With wildfires a fact of life, more children will be facing the question of what to bring. This book has some answers, but more, offers a forum for gentle preparation. A necessary title for young readers.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

Malia is playing in her yard when a dark cloud of smoke blooms on the horizon; soon, flames lick a nearby hillside. Her family must "leave the house, just to be safe," but Malia struggles with what to bring when they evacuate. Daddy rules out her tree fort, and Mama declines piles of books and toys from Malia's room, gently narrowing Malia's choices. "Three things," says Mama. "And put the rest in your heart." As her parents drive Malia, her sibling, and their pets to Grandpa's, Malia's worried expression shifts to a small smile. The family is together, and "Malia knows she brought what is important." A scary subject is addressed sensitively here and, in the absence of geographic or temporal markers, leaves room for use with other natural disasters or evacuations. Cheerful, textured artwork softens the subject's intensity and supports the child-centered text, while details such as boxed photos and Malia's height marked on a doorway prompt thoughtful conversations around material possessions and cherished memories. A gentle story that affirms big feelings and prioritizes relationships.

How do you decide what's most important?Malia, a young girl with a dark brown bob, is playing in her sandbox near her mother and younger brother when she notices a cloud of smoke. Then a brown-skinned woman in a yellow vest stops by, Malia's father comes home early from work, and it's clear that something is wrong. A fire has broken out in the nearby hills, and the family is going to have to leave. Colorful, digitally rendered spreads show Malia in her warm and cozy home as the family packs. Malia wants to bring something, too, but she can't decide what to choose-her sandbox, her favorite stuffed animals, tons of books? Daddy suggests, "Pick small toys. Things important to you." Mama limits her to three things and tells her, "Put the rest in your heart." The text doesn't share Malia's choices, but we see her two favorite stuffed animals peeking out of her backpack. And as Malia walks from the car to Grandpa's house, the accompanying image, of her family in silhouette, makes it clear what the most vital thing of all is. Reassuring to children facing a similar situation, this selection also offers a subtle, heartfelt message to all about the importance of family that young listeners can discuss. Malia and her family are tan-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A straightforward and comforting exploration of an emergency evacuation. (Picture book. 3-7)