Reviews

Starred review from Publisher’s Weekly

Stanton (Papi’s Gift) shows remarkable empathy and restraint in the story of a boy named Henry Cooper, who explains how he divides his days between his mother’s apartment and his father’s house, “two and a half blocks away on West Woolsey Avenue.” Henry—whose red hair matches the crimson ears of his dog, Pomegranate—finds much to appreciate wherever he’s spending the night: the hallways of his mother’s building “smell like chapati, tortillas, and miso soup,” and she makes “perfect golden flapjacks.” Time with his father means piano playing and “perfect pepperoni pizza in his tomato-red kitchen.” In fact, it’s Pomegranate who always wants to go “home,” and after he runs away, readers discover what that means: “our old house,” says Henry. “The place where we all used to live together.” That revelation packs an enormous emotional wallop, but Henry’s calm understanding of his family’s situation, combined with his parents’ mutual amicability, provides a powerful example for real-life families. Meanwhile, Stanton’s artwork—a vibrant collage of acrylic and scraps of varied papers from around the globe—creates a deeply reassuring atmosphere of love and warmth. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

Reviewed on: 11/18/2013
Release date: 02/04/2014

Book Trailer 

School Library Journal’s February edition

Young Henry and his dog, Pomegranate, travel from his mother's apartment to his father's house every other day. Children will notice the marked difference in the two places. Pomegranate notices as well. ... This book can fill a gap in collections because Stanton brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion with a simple understanding for children who live in two homes.

-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA.