Jayden was not happy one
little bit.
His father had gotten a
new job in another state, in another part of the country,
and Jayden hated everything about it. He loved New
York and its skyscrapers and lights and busy-ness. From the
airplane, he looked down at New Mexico and all he could see
was shadows. It almost made him want to cry, except he was
too big for that.
He went to bed, feeling
really sad. In the morning, though, there was a sliver of
sunshine peeking through a window that had no bars on it.
Jayden saw a mountain that looked kind of like a rainbow,
and that was a big surprise! He figured that would be just
about the only color he'd see all day because "browns and
tans are the only colors deserts are good for."
He grabbed the field guide
his mother gave him, he opened the door, and got another big
surprise!
In the grass behind his
house, there were wine-colored flowers and "yellow bells"
and orange and yellow and red and orchid all "dancing... in
the wind." His house was kind of pink. There were green
trees nearby and colorful birds on the branches. And the
sky? It was a color of blue that Jayden didn't quite
understand. He found lizards and bones and shells and all
kinds of interesting things to look at.
Still, he missed the "wow"
of New York and the size of the skyscrapers – until he saw
that the desert had another surprise for him...
If there's one thing we
adults have learned lately, it's that change is hard. When
you're small and your world has turned opposite, it's doubly
difficult. Southwest Sunrise may be able to help.
Right at the beginning of
this story, author Nikki Grimes acknowledges that Jayden is
unhappy and a little uninformed, both of which are
validations that might get kids and parents talking. There's
no minimizing of the main character's concerns, neither in
story nor in the telling of it; instead, Jayden's concerns
are taken seriously but with no drama on the part of his
parents. That matter-of-factness steadies this tale, never
letting it get out of hand on either side. Parents may also
appreciate the leeway that Grimes gives her Jayden: in his
new home, he's allowed the freedom to explore, which is
another nice change.
Add in the soft
illustrations by Wendell Minor, and you've got a soothing
book for trying times. If that's what your child needs now,
Southwest Sunrise is pretty and pretty perfect.
Miss it? Your child won't
wanna.
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