A Summer without Anna by Kate Jenks Landry, Risa Hugo
ISBN: 1525310259
Genres: Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Junie is spending the summer without her older sister, Anna. Junie will be  with the grandparents in the country, while Anna and their parents remain in the city, promising to return when Anna is “well enough”. The nature of Anna’s illness isn’t mentioned, but we get the sense that it is something chronic and serious.

As her parents and Anna leave, Anna hands Junie a box containing her beloved, and previously off-limits camera, along with a note, “In case you find Edmund.” The camera is a source of connection, comfort, and distraction for Junie. The estrangement from her family and the worry about Anna are always present, but the camera It acts as her companion, forcing her to  focus on the natural world around her, as she looks for Edmund.

Junie is a pale young girl, often in green overalls, as she explores the meadow and the lake around her grandparents’ place. The illustrations done in gouache, colored pencils and soft pastels, are reflective of the feelings of anxiety and worry that Junie carries throughout the summer.

There are many small moments within the story, as Junie and her grandparents try to keep busy with pleasant tasks (minnowing, baking, swimming) but Anna’s absence, and the seriousness of her illness are keenly felt. Landry doesn’t shy away from difficult  subjects or emotions.

This is a story of a summer without  the companionship of a sibling, without knowing all is well. And yet, there is hope. Junie finds ways to quiet the worry she feels  in routine and enjoyable activities; she locates Edmund ( a giant snapping turtle), even as she is acutely aware that Anna isn’t there to see it.

And eventually, Anna gets well and Junie is reunited with her sister.  Recommended for picture book collections lacking titles discussing siblings’ feelings around chronic illness.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools