Will It Be Okay?

July 11, 2022
An unflappable and inventive parent reassures a worried child in Dragonwagon’s (And Then It Rained... and Then the Sun Came Out...) double character study, previously published in 1977 and now illustrated by Love (I Love You Because I Love You). “Will it be okay?” asks the child in an initial scene. “Yes, it will,” answers the parent. “But what if there is thunder and lightning?” asks the pale-skinned child, whose curly hair is piled high, huge eyes wide, hands clasped with concern. As the two kneel on a sofa, looking out at the storm, the parent, whose skin tone and curls mirror the child’s, introduces a reframe: “the loud thunder is calling you, saying: Look, look! The world is receiving a deep long drink!” About forgetting one’s lines: “You make up new ones.” The questions lead at last to one of deepest dread: “But what if you die?” The child, seated on the adult’s chest, gazes into their face. “My loving doesn’t die,” the caretaker says. “When you remember me, you say: What can I do with so much love? I will have to give some away.” With empathy, the creators imagine a parent with an uncanny ability to hear a child’s concerns, to hold the emotions that accompany them, and to think and talk about them. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary/HG Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore & Co.

Starred review from August 15, 2022
An updated version of Dragonwagon's 1977 release, originally illustrated by Ben Shecter, with new artwork by Love. Written entirely in dialogue between a parent and a child, the text addresses childhood fears ranging from the small ("But what if there is thunder and lightning?") to the profound ("But what if you die?"). The latter worry arises toward the end of the book, after the child has received matter-of-fact, loving reassurance about many other fears ("You sit at your window and watch the rain beating down over the houses..."). The parent does not seem visibly ill, which suggests that this is a general query about mortality rather than a pressing concern. Throughout, Love's illustrations brim with vitality and emotion, evoking a style akin to some of Trina Schart Hyman's earlier work in the characters' design, with spare backgrounds that offer expressive, decorative embellishments to help set mood and tone. This tender tale is a balm for worried children in troubled times and a model of comfort for caregivers to offer them. The main characters have light skin, dark eyes, and curly, black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.) More than OK. Much more. (Picture book. 3-8)

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