Synopsis
George and Lily are not happy when their mother goes away on a business trip, but telephone calls, e-mail, a calendar, and special activities with their father help make the time pass quickly.Editorials
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1- These delightful lift-the-flap books will be lifesavers for families in which an adult travels for work. With engaging, child-friendly illustrations and simple, clear text, each story begins with a parent leaving on a business trip. "When Mommy goes away for a meeting, Lily and George try to be happy. But they are not." On the next three spreads, the children list the reasons why: "When Mommy is away, she can't help Lily and George get ready for bed" or "When Daddy is away, he can't give Lily and George a bath." Rather than wallow in sadness, however, they reveal something that the missing parent can do to be a part of their children's day (call, send email, etc.) under a large flap. Next, a two-page rebus succinctly illustrates either parent's itinerary, from taking a taxi, catching a plane, and going to a meeting to the reverse trip. Each book concludes with a warm welcome home. Both the format and topic automatically limit the audience, but these are great resources for the right families. The flaps are large (most are nearly the size of the page) and well constructed, making these titles reasonable choices for those libraries that invest in this format.-Piper Nyman, Brookmeade Elementary School, Nashville, TN