The Lost Homework

O’Neill (Yokki and the Parno Gry) writes about an itinerant community, introducing Sonny, who lives on a “Traveler site” where “there was always something going on.” That’s an understatement this weekend: on Friday and Saturday, Sonny uses math and science to help prepare for a cousin’s wedding, and he joins the reception’s storyteller with a tale he wrote in school. On Sunday, he’s the one everyone relies on, supervising younger kids at the playground before church and helping an elderly neighbor figure out email. But Sonny must also get his homework done—and he can’t find his workbook anywhere, even after the whole community joins in the search. What will the teacher say? Calm prose and illustrator Beautyman’s earth-toned, tableau-like pictures portray a life that, while out of the ordinary, will seem very familiar to readers in many ways—enriched by deep cultural pride, a respect for learning, and the presence of caring adults. Ages 4–9. [em](Sept.) [/em]