Time to Leave, Laverne!

PreS-K–Preschooler Laverne struggles with intense emotional outbursts when it’s time to leave a place, such as the library or the park. Her parents attempt to soothe her with toys, music, crafts, and more, but their suggestions are unsuccessful. Eventually, Laverne discovers that her stuffed animals provide the comfort she needs. She begins carrying them everywhere, and the tantrums cease. Children’s emotions are often metaphorically depicted, such as in Molly Bang’s When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry… In Button’s book, the thunderstorms crackle off the page. The art is endearing. Characters are rendered with smooth, colored lines and pleasing pastel watercolor fills. People have large heads and tiny, cute faces. Underrepresented body types are positively featured, like Laverne’s zaftig mother and several fathers who are delightfully round. However, other attempts at representation feel forced. For instance, a Black girl in a wheelchair is not on the story hour rug with the other children and awkwardly cut off by the bottom of the page. A hijab-wearing girl sits on the rug in two small panels, but she is absent when Laverne returns at the end of the book. The text is similarly flawed. Laverne’s parents fail to notice the calming effect of the stuffed animals, leaving their three-year-old to find her own solution. The conclusion feels unearned, as she has only discovered one coping mechanism for one specific trigger.