Inspired by actual events of when they were a young child, Jack Wong’s Goodbye, Koi is a lovely toned story and amazingly illustrated book. Due mid September 2026 (read via an online reader copy) this story is adaptable to most ages. While the picture book format might turn off a few older readers, you could read it up to about second or third grade.
The premise is that a child must say goodbye to their beloved koi fish pets, as something is happening so they can no longer keep them. If you view the images carefully you can see something is happening, such as coats being purchased when it looks warm outside; market places that don’t look like you would find in Western cultures; and a family celebration that looks both happy and a bit bittersweet. What is happening is the child and father of the story are moving away from their Asian homeland and flying to a far away country.
Yet, you can interpret the story a little differently than that, as it is about change and the loss of something familiar. It is a nice, calm story. Maybe it has a smidgen of “sadness” overlaying things, but not overtly sad. It is a good combination of how things all come together. And this is complemented by the artwork. The cover is a good example of the colors you will see, the style of images (a bit dreamy) but they each can fluctuate to pinpoint the feeling, the amount of tension, and to help you focus on what the author wants you to concentrate on.
