Description: Senior citizen mentors help a boy make sense of loss in this powerful collaboration from acclaimed creators Winsome Bingham and Jason Griffin.
On Fridays after school, Jamar takes the bus to meet Momma at the assisted living center where she works. There's always someone interesting to talk to there, like Mr. Dillon, who twirls and slides through the halls; Mr. Riff, who wears a suit and plays guitar in his room; and Miss Neely, who teaches Jamar to garden. They're a community--a family. Everything is right on Fridays. But when Momma wakes Jamar up to drive back to the center in the middle of the night, he knows something must be very wrong. Funerals are for saying goodbye, but Jamar doesn't want to say goodbye to Miss Neely. After all, why didn't she say goodbye to him? Momma explains it wasn't by choice; that's why we have to give people their flowers while they're here. A collaboration between acclaimed author Winsome Bingham and Caldecott Honoree Jason Griffin, On Fridays is a stirring tribute to cross-generational friendship, and a glimpse at how grief can teach us to love better. Musical text and vivid illustrations animate a close-knit cast of characters sure to remain in readers' hearts.Review Quotes: Bingham's melodic first-person text elegantly captures the juxtaposition of Jamar's highs and lows. . . . Radiant portraiture of the all-Black cast makes breathtaking use of light and perspective. . . . This resonant and blessedly concrete addition to picture books on death suits all collections . . . this is another powerful collaboration, following The Table (2024), co-authored by Wiley Blevins. A profoundly moving child-centered perspective on grief.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
--Publishers Weekly Mixed-media illustrations combine what look like paper-cut collage and photographs with realistically drawn portraits, often cropped in close to dramatic effect. . . . This gentle and genuine story is a worthy update to the shelf that helps children cope with loss.
--School Library Journal A moving foreword reflects on the power of art and words to heal, honor, and inspire--qualities that resonate throughout this heartfelt story about grief and gratitude. . . . Rich mixed-media illustrations layer original sketches, soulful portraits, and collaged flowers, adding warmth and emotional depth to this tender story.
--Booklist This is a poignant reflection on unexpected loss that manages to capture the complexities of grief without dwelling in melancholy, as the cheerful faces and welcoming demeanor of many of the patients buoy the narrative tone. While the text is focused on the immediacy of Jamar's feelings rather than the residents' backstories, viewers get to see Miss Neely, Mr. Dillon, and Mr. Riff as whole people, undefined by whatever challenge has landed them in Momma's care. A variety of mediums create strikingly unique illustrations. . . .
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Painterly illustrations reflect the intimate tone of this moving picture book about grief, goodbye, and what remains.
--Foreword Reviews