In this story set during war time, we meet Ada Ruth, her mother, and grandmother. The family doesn't have enough money, and Ada Ruth's mother needs to leave to find work. She tells Ada Ruth, 'They're hiring colored women in Chicago since all the men are off fighting in the war.' Ada Ruth misses her mother terribly, and while a tiny kitten Ada Ruth and her grandmother find brings her some comfort, nothing can heal her sadness at missing her mother. She and her grandmother hope for the time when a letter will come saying her mother will be 'Coming on home soon.' This is a thoughtful tale, artfully written, about the emotional experience of missing a parent who has to be away. The book received a Caldecott Honor award for its illustrations.
Date read: 6/29/2009
ISBN-10: 0399237488
ISBN-13: 9780399237485
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