The Moving Book
by Lisa Brown; illus. by the author
Primary    Porter/Holiday    40 pp.
7/25    9780823457182    $18.99

The family from The Airport Book (rev. 5/16) and The Hospital Book (rev. 3/23) is back, here on the brink of moving—again. As always, there’s plenty to take in, smile at, and relate to. Brother and younger sister, who is looking worried and apprehensive, sit on the front steps of their “sold” house while he reminisces about all the other places they’ve lived. From a tiny apartment she doesn’t remember because she hadn’t yet been born, to a “big apartment in [a] big building with three elevators” where they didn’t even need to go outside to trick-or-treat, to their current house full of vivid memories, we are treated to an intimate portrait of a growing family and, in particular, these characters’ childhoods. Lighthearted elements, especially regarding the unreliability of the brother’s narration (he claims to be much more adventurous and uncomplaining than the art reveals), mix with more poignant ones (Grandpa, who will be living with them in the new house, now uses a walker). Brown’s mixed-media illustrations feature their usual clear colors, clean lines, and wealth of detail. Sharp-eyed readers will note that this time the sister’s beloved Monkey gets its own labeled box—no more getting lost!—and will be reassured to see that her smile has returned by book’s end, as the family settles in happily to their new home.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.