Ththroughh theh Fforest

Yijung Li, Lantana (APR 5) Hardcover $17.99 (32pp), 978-1-913747-77-0

This comforting metaphorical picture book starts after a tough childhood event and emphasizes its meanings via sparse, affecting illustrations. In it, a lost boy encounters Emptiness, who is spectral and sad; the two decide to assist each other. The boy finds pieces of his past as they travel, and shares the happy memories that they evoke with Emptiness; when the bits are too big for him to carry himself, Emptiness assists, until his spaces aren’t so empty anymore.