Coming on Home Soon

A 2005 Caldecott Honor Book

Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. It's war time, and women are needed to fill the men's jobs. As winter sets in, Ada Ruth and her grandma keep up their daily routine, missing Mama all the time. They find strength in each other, and a stray kitten even arrives one day to keep them company, but nothing can fill the hole Mama left. Every day they wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming on home soon. Set during World War II, Coming On Home Soon has a timeless quality that will appeal to all who wait and hope.

"The creators of The Other Side set this quietly stirring tale during an unspecified wartime (though details in the paintings suggest WWII). Ada Ruth's mother packs her suitcase in the opening full-bleed painting, explaining to her daughter, 'They're hiring colored women in Chicago since all the men are off fighting in the war.... I'm gonna head on up there.' Staying with her loving grandmother, the forlorn narrator continues to write to her mother, yet receives no response. Ada Ruth takes solace in her grandmother's embraces and encouragement ('Your mama's gonna be coming on home soon') and in the company of a kitten that appears at the door one snowy morning. Woodson's narrative is lyrical and spontaneous; of the kitten, Ada Ruth observes, 'It's a slip of a thing. But its softness is big./ And warm as ten quilts on my lap./ Warm as Mama's hands.' Lewis's lifelike, earth-toned watercolors deftly convey the sustaining affection and mutual support between Ada Ruth and her grandmother, as well as the girl's simultaneous loneliness. Well placed cameo-shaped portraits of the mother and her activities provide reassurance to readers. The story ends on a positive note: the long-awaited letter from Mama promises 'I'll be coming on home soon' and a final, wordless image reveals the woman making her way through the snow to their door. Ages 5-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Longing, loneliness, pride, and doing what needs to be done shine off the pages and into the hearts of readers." Kirkus Reviews

"[B]eautifully written and illustrated....A tender, heartfelt story that will touch readers." School Library Journal

From the team behind the award-winning The Other Side comes this story set in World War II when women left their homes to fill men's jobs. The story of young Ada Ruth and her grandma waiting for Ada Ruth's mother to return home is told with a timeless quality. Full color.

Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. During World War II, women are needed to fill the men's jobs. Every day Ada Ruth and Grandma wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming home soon.

Jacqueline Woodson's honors include two National Book Award nominations, a Coretta Scott King Award, and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize.