See You Someday Soon

by Pat Zietlow Miller, Suzy Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

From the author of the mega-bestseller Be Kind and the winner of the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award comes a picture book for anyone who's ever loved someone far away.

Someday soon, I'll see you.
Even though you are there.
And I am here.
So very far apart.

In this heartfelt picture book, a child imagines ways to connect with a grandmother who lives far way. Whether by rocket ship or jet pack, train or in a plane, any journey is worth it to see someone you love.

With an inviting, accessible text by Pat Zietlow Miller and inventive art from the critically-acclaimed illustrator Suzy Lee, See You Someday Soon reminds us that, no matter the physical distance between us, the people we care about are never far from our hearts. The book features clever and innovative die-cuts throughout, adding a creative, thoughtful and discussion-worthy novelty aspect to this layered and deeply emotional story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250221100
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	160,233
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Pat Zietlow Miller is a children's book lover and one of the creative forces behind the blog Picture Book Builders where she reviews books for young readers. Her picture books include the New York Times bestseller Be Kind, Sophie's Squash, Wherever You Go, The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, and Remarkably You, among many others. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Suzy Lee is a Korean picture book author and illustrator. She has published over thirty books. Her critically acclaimed work includes the books Mirror, Wave, Shadow, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Open This Little Book. She is the winner of the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2022

A child’s creative musings about ways to stay connected with a long-distance grandparent propel this contemporary narrative, which cleverly uses die-cuts to provide a peek-a-boo effect. “Maybe I’ll mail myself to you,” the child proposes, peering through an envelope’s opening from the next page, before humorously continuing to riff: “I’d have to flatten myself like a pancake. Or twist up like a pretzel.” Working mostly with pencil, crayon, and watercolor, Lee’s stylish drawings add humor and whimsy, showing, for example, the black-haired outlines of child and grandparent—whose skin tones change with the shifting bold-colored backgrounds—trying to video-chat without quite fully centering themselves on the computer screen. The repeated refrain “see you someday soon” links the various modes of communication on display until the duo turn “soon” into something even sooner in this playful spin on modern grandparent-child relationships. Ages 3–6. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"A touching depiction of love across the miles between a grandmother and a grandchild... Pick up this title someday soon." —Kirkus Review, starred review

"While this reassuring picture book is particularly apt for COVID-19, it will be welcomed by anyone suffering separation and seeking comfort." —Horn Book Magazine, starred review

"[A] playful spin on modern grandparent-child relationships." —Publishers Weekly

"The simple text will resonate with any child missing a loved one far away. The fun in peeking through the holes and then turning the page to reveal the picture will keep kids guessing what’s next." —Booklist

"This is a title sturdy enough for sharing, and soothing for all who live far from loved ones, as well as a handbook for the myriad ways to stay in touch before and after those precious visits." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/26/2022

PreS-Gr 2—There have been a spate of long-distance grandparent books this year, but it will be hard to find one more visually charming than this one. With die-cut holes, and constant patter of reassuring monologue, the young narrator explains why he or she cannot be with the grandmother now but how "See you someday soon" are watch words. Until the end of the book, they are never occupying the same space but never more than a few pages and a peephole away. It's not just space and distance that separate them, but time—the parents have jobs and a lot going on, and the grandparent or relative that is so far away has a life, too, of cats, and flowers, procured or maybe gardened, and making dinner. The pacing of the journey—there is a hug at the end—is so quiet and steady, like the beating of a hopeful heart about to get its dearest wish. This book will win over readers at both ends of the age range with the promise of the title and the narrator's clear-eyed belief that "soon" is not a movable post. This will happen. VERDICT This is a title sturdy enough for sharing, and soothing for all who live far from loved ones, as well as a handbook for the myriad ways to stay in touch before and after those precious visits.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

School Library Journal

★ 2022-04-13
A touching depiction of love across the miles between a grandmother and a grandchild.

Miller’s first-person text shares the voice of a child longing for their grandmother, who lives far away. Since they don’t know when they’ll see each other again, they keep in touch via phone calls, video chats, and letters, with the child imagining playful, fantastical ways they might see each other “someday soon.” The child even imagines being folded up in an envelope, à la Flat Stanley, to be sent in the mail to their grandmother. The titular refrain is repeated throughout the book, voicing a steady hope despite the uncertain timing of a resolution. Lee’s illustrations match the childlike tone of the text, adopting a sketchy, loose, cartoonlike aesthetic, and while drawings are largely made up of figures rendered in black, changing background colors, intraiconic text indicating dialogue, and highlights of color add expressive dimension and visual interest. An added die-cut element enhances the art’s play with the concept of seeing someone by offering glimpses of characters’ faces between pages. A satisfying resolution arrives to close the book, offering solace to those who have endured long separations from loved ones due to the pandemic and also to anyone whose loved ones live far away. Characters’ skin tones vary depending on the color of the page. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Pick up this title someday soon. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews