Jacqueline Woodson gives us a tender and moving story about two siblings who dont know what to expect when theyre sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt, but soon discover that theres plenty of love to go around when they need it most, with stunning original art by Monica Mikai.

Sometimes, even when a mama loves you, she cant always take care of you…
Thats what happens with Johnson and Beebees mamaand thats why they are being taken to their aunt Gracies house.

Who is this Gracie aunt? Thats what Johnson wants to know. He cant remember her, and Beebee doesnt seem to trust her, at least not at first. But slowly, as the three of them spend time togethercooking, watching movies, snuggling on the couch, and even crying when they need tothey form a bond. And when Johnson sees Mama again, he knows that no matter where he lives, hell always be surrounded by love.

Jacqueline Woodson (JacquelineWoodson.com) received a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship,a MacArthur Fellowship, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the Childrens Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2022 Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence, and was the 20182019 National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature. HerNew York Timesbestselling memoir,Brown Girl Dreaming, won the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, and an NAACP Image Award. Herdozens of books for young readers include Coretta Scott King Award and NAACP Image Award winnerBefore the Ever After,New York TimesbestsellersThe Day You BeginandHarbor Me, Newbery Honor winnersFeathers,Show Way, andAfter Tupac and D Foster, and the picture bookEach Kindness, which won the Jane Addams Childrens Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Monica Mikai (MonicaMikai.com) wrote and illustratedWhat the Garden Tells Me,Wash Day with Mama, andMy Quiet Place. She has illustrated numerous picture books, includingBuild a House(by Rhiannon Giddens),My Name Is a Story(by Ashanti),You Are Getting Sleepy(by Lori Alexander),The Proudest Color(by Sheila Modir and Jeffrey Kashou),andThank a Farmer(by Maria Gianferrari). She has a BA in art and elementary education from Rider University and an MFA in painting from the New York Studio School. Monica lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with her husband and two sons.

• Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
• Publish Date: January 20, 2026
• Pages: 32
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780593530870
• Dimensions: 11.0 X 8.5 X 0.0 inches | 1.3 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Kids