From the New York Times Bestselling author of Raising Fences and the award-winning illustrator of Mama Africa!, comes a moving and lyrical picture book about a girl navigating her parents' divorce, featuring a Black family, two homes, and whole lot of love.Auset's parents tell her the divorce wasn't her fault, but she got split in two too. Now she has two homes, two rooms, two Christmases, and two birthday parties. It's tough to deal with her parents' divorce, but at least she has the songs of Sweet Honey and the Rock and Bob Marley to help her through. Plus, she has her therapist, and her stuffed animal Dolphie the Dolphin, who is an excellent listener.
With two loving parents doing their best, here is a look at Black families, divorce, and how difficult it is for kids to go through. But with time and support, and everyone doing their best to keep it real, there's healing and strength on the other side.
On sale: October 7, 2025
Age: 4-8 years
Grade: Preschool - 3
Page count: 40 Pages
ISBN: 9780593429365
Dr. Michael Datcher received his B.S. from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. from UC Riverside in English Literature. He made his picture book debut with
Harlem at Four, illustrated by Frank Morrison, which received two starred reviews. Dr. Datcher is the author of the
New York Times Bestseller
Raising Fences and the critically-acclaimed Ferguson-area historical novel
Americus. His book
Animating Black and Brown Liberation: A Theory of American Literatures was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Datcher has made numerous media appearances, including
Oprah,
Today Show and
Dateline. Dr. Michael Datcher is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Writing at New York University’s School of Liberal Studies.
Charly Palmer is an award-winning fine artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. He was born in Fayette, Alabama, raised in Milwaukee, and currently teaches at Spelman College in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife, Karida Brown. He has illustrated many children’s books, including
The Teachers March! How Selma’s Teachers Changed History,
My Rainy Day Rocket Ship, M
ama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope With Her Song, which received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award, and
The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families which received an NAACP Award and the
Boston Globe-
Horn Book Award.
★ "
Heartfelt and moving, this is an exceptional must-have for the shelves for helping children deal with divorce and other challenges." —
School Library Journal, starred review
"Expressive brushstrokes add movement and emotion to the acrylic-rendered scenes throughout
a resonant portrait of unexpected change that focuses on emotional upheaval and quiet resilience." —
Publishers Weekly
"
A beautifully illustrated tale that will help children of divorce feel seen." —
Kirkus Reviews
"Picture-book collections will be well served by this book, which
will help young readers know that they are not alone or to blame as their family goes through divorce."
—Booklist
"
[A] poetic, compassionate picture book....kids struggling with a parental divorce or separation will appreciate the book’s respectful representation of their experiences."
—The Bulletin
