A gentle and comforting story about connection, loss, and memory.
A young girl’s two moms bring her a bright yellow balloon one day, and she names it “Loonie.” It becomes her constant companion—we see her introducing it to neighbors, making a place for it at dinner, and keeping it nearby for bedtime stories. One day, however, the girl takes Loonie to the garden, where it floats away. The girl is bereft, and her parents try to comfort her, encouraging her to help them plant seeds in the garden. “The girl was sad for a long time,” though, and the days all seemed gray. After some time, though, a bright yellow flower blooms in the garden where they planted the seeds. It is the same color that Loonie was.
Author Nina LaCour is skilled enough not to make the flower a replacement for Loonie; it’s simply a nudge to help her engage positively with her memories. The blossom causes the girl to reflect on what a good friend Loonie was, though, and she is again able to do the things she and Loonie used to do together, like dance and watch animals through the window. In fact, she is even discovering new things in a newly bright world.
LaCour’s spare, soothing, and sometimes softly amusing text, combined with Ashling Lindsay’s bright whimsical illustrations, make this a charming book with a gentle message about friendship, grief, and finding comfort in memories while also moving forward. The two moms could be any parents, and the book’s message is one that children in all types of families may appreciate.
The family is White.
