When Father Comes Home

June and his older brother return home from school and see a big pair of shoes by the door—their father is back for a rare visit. Jung’s digitally rendered pictures, with soft, glowing earth tones and pencil textures, show a house that brightens considerably with the father’s presence: June’s “mother is happier, and the food smells more delicious.” The family slips into familiar rhythms, and before Father must leave again, they plant a tangerine tree (June’s favorite fruit): “Next time I am here, this tree will be bigger, and so will you.” Readers will immediately notice that Father is no ordinary parent: he has the head and wings of a goose, and the afterword explains that this story and depiction is inspired by the Korean phrase “goose dad,” which describes “fathers who work and live apart from their families, flying back to Korea for long periods of time” to support their children’s educations. But debut creator Jung’s deeply affecting storytelling, with its seamless blending of fairy tale elements, melancholy, patience, and hope, should open up the story for a wide range of readers. Ages 4–8. [em](Nov.) [/em]