I am one of those people who do not like change. Unless it’s when I get money back from a purchase that I have made. Seriously, though, change can be hard for people and children especially. And especially when it has become a tradition filled with pleasant memories, good feelings and food (I do like food).
Molly Beth Griffin’s Just Us shows how when something changes, it can also be a good thing, just different. The narrator of the story is upset that the winter weather has stopped their holiday celebration and their relatives from coming. They want their grandmothers three kinds of pies, the cousins and their aunts and uncles. And they want to share all of this with their sibling and two moms. What they do not want is for it to be “just the four of them” because that will not be the same. It is not tradition. That is, until they realize that they can do similar things, and even new things, to help make the day special.
Anait Semirdzhyan’s illustrations are cozy and comfortable. They are not overly busy, but neither are they skimping on details. You might not be able to smell the apple crisp, but you can see how much fun it is to face-time with grandma, write letters to loved ones and even a game of cards can match charades. The art and story support each other, allowing a traditional theme (family, holidays, and the possibility of having to adapt) to come alive with modern twists.
Read via an online reader copy, due Summer 2024