The Last Last, written by Wendy J. Whittingham and illustrated by Brianna McCarthy. Groundwood Books, 2025. $21.99 ages 4 and up

 

"I try to picture our new home, but I can't. 
So I gaze at the clouds and see a plane like 
the one that will carry us away. 
Next to my heart, the shell is calm and cool.
The hummingbirds in my tummy have 
flown away too."

Children who have had to do what the young narrator of this story does will find empathy and understanding as they read it. She is leaving behind the country she loves to move with her Mum and Grannie to a faraway place. It is a place she knows nothing about, and she is fearful of the changes that are to come. 

While the women rush around getting their things packed and ready, she is filled with worry about leaving all that she loves behind them. While family and friends offer help, she wants everyone to know that she had no say in the decision made to move. To avoid all that is happening at home, she goes for a last walk that takes her past many of her favorite places. 

"On my last walk, red dust warms my feet. 
I visit my school and gaze out over the 
cricket pitch. 
Last chew of sugarcane, 
last smell of sweet roast corn. 
Dogs bark, chickens scatter. 
Last time."

As she walks, she finds a swirly shell and knows she wants to pack it. Once back, she packs the treasures she will take with her in the crate that contains only 'really important things'. As she waits, she tries to imagine her new home; she knows she has memories to assure she will not forget her old one. Upon arrival at their house, a welcoming blue jay offers a sense of peace and anticipation for her new life. 

The gouache and acrylic artwork is full of the warmth of her Caribbean home. The Jamaica setting is lushly portrayed in brilliant color. Arrival at their big city home offers a bright yellow taxi, busy streets and a first connection to the nature that surrounds her. A welcoming blue jay will bring good luck her Grannie tells her. This hopeful ending offers a sense of acceptance to an important life change. The story is based on the author's own memories of immigration as a young child. It is sure to ring true with listeners who have had to make the same kind of transition.