Author Crescent Dragonwagon and Julián Is a Mermaid illustrator Jessica Love pair up in this powerful new edition of a classic picture book that asks a tough question and answers it with humanity, humor, and grace.
WILL IT BE OKAY?
by Crescent Dragonwagon & Jessica Love
Cameron Kids/Abrams, September 2022
In this beautiful new edition of a timeless picture book classic, a child asks, « Will it be okay? » That bee sting, that thunderstorm, those powerful feelings, losing a loved one. Written by Crescent Dragonwagon, daughter of legendary children’s book author and editor Charlotte Zolotow, and illustrated by the equally inimitable Jessica Love, WILL IT BE OKAY? answers a timeless and universal question with honesty, humanity, beauty, and humor. Will it be okay? Yes—yes, it will.
Crescent Dragonwagon is the award-winning author of more than 50 books for readers of all ages, including the original edition of WILL IT BE OKAY?, published in 1977 by HarperCollins. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Jessica Love is an award-winning author and illustrator. Her critically acclaimed debut picture book, Julián Is a Mermaid, has received several prestigious awards, including the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Award, as well as numerous starred reviews. She lives in New York.
Custard the Squirrel, aren’t you a duck?
When a young girl visits her grandparents at the beach, she stays in a little house and walks along the shore gathering seashell s which were once little houses of their own. As she wanders the beach, she wonders about the creatures who used to live in each shell, about the hidden treasures of the sea, and about what it would be like to know the answers to everything. Kevin Henkes’s text features striking imagery, depth of meaning, and a lovely multigenerational relationship. He deftly captures the feeling of wonder and imagination that is fostered by a trip to the shore.
Hakim is traveling up the mountain to visit his friend Daisy, but the fog is so thick that he can’t see the road ahead. Then an old goat appears out of nowhere and delivers a sinister warning: “Beware! Beware! There are monsters up there!” Hakim trots with caution, until he hears an awful groan, growing closer and closer. And out of the mist comes the strangest creature Hakim has ever seen. . . .
Daisy is new to the garden and just opening her petals to the sun when Rose tells her that she’s just a weed. What’s a weed? Rose explains that weeds aren’t planted on purpose and only get in the way. As Daisy compares herself to other plants in the garden, she begins to feel even worse: she isn’t tall like Sunflower, nor sweet like Strawberry, nor fragrant like Rose. Just as Daisy worries that Rose might be right—that she is a weed after all—a strange and beautiful plant offers a new perspective. Maybe Daisy does have a purpose! And why do others get to decide who she is? This sweet and empowering story shows the inner strength it can take to define ourselves on our own terms, and how supporting one another can help us grow.