Home At Last

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From the publisher:

"A poignant, timely, and universal picture book about fear, adoption, family, and the joy of fatherhood, written by beloved and award-winning author Vera B. Williams and illustrated by the author in collaboration with two-time Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka.

After Lester is adopted by Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, he develops a big problem—he can't fall asleep. Night after night he creeps into his parents' room and attempts to crawl in between his two daddies, confident that if he's with them and their dog, Wincka, nothing bad will happen to him ever again. But every night, Lester's new dads walk him back to his own room, hoping that eventually Lester will get used to the new house and his new family and feel as though he belongs. They buy him a bike and take him for ice cream. They make cocoa and introduce him to his cousins. But no matter how happy Lester seems during the day, he still gets scared and worried at night! It's the sweet dog Wincka who finally solves the problem when she climbs into Lester's bed and promptly falls asleep, serving as both his pillow and his protector. Lester feels home at last.

Vera B. Williams died on October 16, 2015, while still working on this book with her dear friend and fellow artist Chris Raschka. Chris Raschka's astonishing and glorious full-color paintings are based on sketches by Vera B. Williams and honor both her spirit and her intent. Home at Last is a universal, timely, and timeless book about the right of all children to belong someplace safe."

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It's the big day.  The special day.  The long-awaited day.  Lester has packed his blue case full of his special defender action figures and he's got all his clothes. He's leaving nothing behind in the children's center where he's been living since his parents were killed in a car crash and his grandma passed.

Today his new daddies - Daddy Rick and Daddy Albert - are coming to adopt him and take him to his new home.  The adoption has taken a long time so Lester knows his two daddies pretty well.

Lester has his own room in his new home.  He has pancakes on Sunday mornings.  He has his blue case of defender action figures in case someone tries to hurt him.  Life is good.

But still he wakes in the night, finds his blue case and he walks carefully down the hall to wake up his daddies.  He needs to tell them and he needs them to know there is something he needs to fill in the empty spaces where fear and darkness are encamped.

Gently told with a warmth and a light and some heartwarming illustrations.

40 pages            978-0061349737       Ages 4-8

Keywords: belonging, being included, adoption, family, family life, LGBTQ, gay and lesbian, fears, feelings, home, two moms or two dads, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, acceptance

Recommended by:  Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com

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