Readers will empathize with Yaccarino's latest, in which a family experiences the ups and downs of unexpected home confinement. When a storm, "unlike any storm we'd ever seen," forces them to stay inside, "maybe for a long while," three children and their father find themselves with "nothing to do and too much time to do it." A series of vignettes traces the family's activities (bathing the dog, arguments over an electronic device, an unfortunate home haircut) as the atmosphere goes from "strange" to "bad, to worse." With everyone disgruntled and getting on each other's nerves, they finally scatter to different parts of the house in order to be alone. When the storm takes a turn for the worse and cloaks the house in complete darkness, the group reunites in fear and vulnerability. As morning breaks, the storm is still there, but "something had changed," and the family's paradigm shift helps them face the duration of the storm with patience and gratitude. In his characteristic flat and bright digital illustrations, Yaccarino (Smashy Town, rev. 5/20) captures the characters' range of emotions, from the stresses of the storm and of irritable tempers to the euphoria of "one impossibly beautiful day" and of renewed family peace. Simultaneously lighthearted and tender, the book reflects the tediousness, camaraderie, and joys of family life -- something to which many readers, especially during COVID-19, can relate. Emmie Stuart November/December 2021 p.91(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Using a ferocious storm as a metaphor for the COVID-19 pandemic, Yaccarino shows readers its effects on a family cooped up together with too much time on their hands. When the sky darkens and a fierce wind whirls around the house, a father, his three children, and their dog take refuge inside just before heavy rain begins pelting the windows. They have no idea how long their isolation will last and are not prepared for the monotony and too much togetherness. The longer the family is confined, the more boredom sets in and tempers flare. "And just when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse . . . it did." After they all retreat to their bedrooms as a reprieve from too much--with not enough quality--time together, the electricity fails. Figuring that being together in a blackout is better than being alone, the family crosses over into a more tranquil period, learning how to be a cohesive group while the storm lasts. Yaccarino's signature illustrations in bold blocks of brightly colored hues and clean lines delineate one family's quarantine struggles. Pictures in varying shapes and sizes show the family's universal experience during the recent upheaval in the routine of life as we knew it. A new classic to help us understand and weather past and future storms.

It was unlike any storm we'd ever seen," this layered volume's unspecified narrator says of the title's weather event: "No one knew how long it would last. We were going to have to stay inside, maybe for a long while." A father, a blue dog, and three taupe-skinned siblings--one an adolescent, the other two closer to the target audience age--hunker down: "There was nothing to do, and too much time to do it." As the dark storm rages outside, appearing through the home's windows in almost every scene, domestic life unravels under the pressure of unrelenting proximity. Fights erupt over messy rooms and digital devices, faces turn orange with rage, and communication ceases. But when a bolt of lightning knocks out the power--in a series of striking images that go from blazing yellow to deep blue and turquoise--the individuals huddle together and apologize. Though the storm persists, "something had changed," and the family enjoys each other's company, engages in only minor squabbles, and even puts on an impromptu concert. And when the sun finally does return, they go outside--together--and resolutely begin cleanup out of doors. In bright, flat colors and decisive lines, Yaccarino (Smashy Town) crafts an emotionally nuanced, authentic picture book that simultaneously hints at and avoids mention of recent events. Conveying instantly recognizable sadness and stresses, it clearly shows how connection and resilience can prevail in the face of any storm. Ages 4--8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Aug.)

PreS-Gr 2--In a distinct but subtle parallel to the COVID-19 pandemic, a family finds themselves hunkering down in their home as an unexpected and dangerous storm rages outside. The three children, one dad, and one dog grow frustrated with their seemingly endless proximity and confinement, bickering over one thing after another--but when lightning flashes nearby, they rally around one another for comfort and find a renewed sense of solidarity that carries them to the day they can finally step outside again. Yaccarino's illustrations draw readers' eye with a charming mid-century aesthetic while bold colors and expressive lines adroitly convey mood. The straightforward prose is equally strong, capturing the tension and tedium of pandemic life with striking effectiveness ("There was nothing to do, and too much time to do it."). This book is at once timely and timeless; whether readers interpret the main conflict as a pandemic or as a literal weather event, the story invites meaningful discussion about how people cope with hardships. Readers of all ages will be bolstered by the message about the resilience of familial love and the endurance of the human spirit. VERDICT A first purchase for picture book collections. Nuanced, affirming, and relatable, this book will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.--Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Lib., CA

A parent, three children, and a dog weather a crisis together. "A storm came to our town." Autumn leaves swirl and a child swings from a tire on a tree, yet overhead looms a huge dark cloud. "We were going to have to stay inside, maybe for a long while." It's not easy. "There was nothing to do and too much time to do it." There are moments of chaos: bathtub puddles and dog-chewed shoes. Each person looks unhappy, bored, frustrated, angry. Shockingly, the adult totally loses it. Yet when there's an enormous flash of lightning ("the whole house shook") everyone cuddles together, and afterward "things started to get better, a little every day." The family appears White. Yaccarino's bold lines and fluid figures against swaths of solid color and his use of shading and shadow are splendid. Outside the windows rain comes down at an angle. Inside there is the yellow glow of a lamp or blue of darkness and the harmony--or momentary clash--of family activity. Sun and blue sky finally make their appearance, and the family is seen in the yard picking up scattered leaves and sticks together, a reminder that the storm didn't leave things unchanged or unscathed. The story feels emotionally true to the process of going through any profound crisis: a pandemic, death, divorce, or the prolonged absence of a parent who is deployed, a first responder, or battling an illness. Resonant and reassuring. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.