Written by Sarah Ann Juckes
Illustrated by Sharon King-Chai
Tulsa, OK: Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing, 2024. Fiction. 243 pages.
Jasper is worried. The nightingale that routinely comes to his house each year hasn't returned this spring. Even worse, Jasper's sister, Rosie, hasn't come back from college for the weekend like she was supposed to. Jasper's parents keep crying and only telling him that Rosie has gone to a "better place," wherever that is. His only conclusion is that the "better place" must be where the nightingale is, so if he finds the nightingale, he'll find his sister as well.
This book is beautifully heart-wrenching. Jasper's refusal to acknowledge that his sister has died is hard to read, yet endearing. I appreciated the descriptions of Jasper's anxiety and panic attacks, and I was impressed by the way his friend was able to help Jasper through one with coping skills he'd learned in therapy. Bird facts and drawings also draw us into Jasper's world and explain his closeness with his sister, making his acceptance of her loss that much more hard and cathartic.
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