Always My Brother

Reagan and illustrator Phyllis Pollema-Cahill built something genuinely useful here: a picture book that helps a young child name the specific fear that grief brings — that moving forward is a betrayal of the person you lost. Becky's withdrawal from the joys she shared with her brother John feels emotionally true, and the book's gentle answer — that John will always be her brother, that he would want her to be happy — is offered with parental warmth rather than hollow reassurance. Kirkus praised its emotional honesty, and the quiet watercolor illustrations carry the tenderness the text requires. The honest caveat is also the point: this is a heavy subject, and parents of very young children or those not currently navigating loss should preview it before reading together. It is most powerful and appropriate in the hands of a child who actually needs it. Worth It as a resource for bereaved families and the counselors and librarians who support them.