“An unforgettable story about change with a loving father-daughter bond at its heart.”
– Matt de la Peña, Newbery Medal–winning author of Last Stop on Market Street
Anything
Written by Rebeccca Stead and illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Published by Chronicle Books
What’s more powerful than a secret wish? A wish you say out loud.
Anything paints a tender picture of a father and daughter moving into a new home. Dad brings a birthday cake for the new apartment to celebrate their new beginning and tells his daughter she can wish for anything (or, more precisely, “three Anythings”). Over the course of the day, she wishes for some of her favorite things, including a rainbow and “the biggest slice of pizza in the whole world.”
But she keeps some of her wishes inside. Because what she really wants is to go back home to their old apartment, with its big blue bathtub and space in the closet for hide-and-seek. When she finally admits this last wish, her dad takes her on a journey, and by the book’s final pages, she is home . . . in every way that matters.
Pairing an enchanting story from Rebecca Stead (author of the Newbery medal-winning When You Reach Me) with stunning artwork from Caldecott-honor-winning Gracey Zhang.
Reviews
★ “Moving is a common experience in the lives of many children; here its ups and downs are explored with rare attention and sensitivity.”
– School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ “With its beguiling voice and authentic heart, this picture book is both comfortingly real and deeply true.”
Booklist, Starred Review
★ “This introspective, sensitive, and stunningly rendered story will encourage families weathering tough transitions and stay with readers for a long time.”
–The Horn Book Review, Starred Review
★ “A sensitive, beautifully wrought meditation on change.”
Kirkus, Starred Review
★ “This tender portrait captures a child met where they are by a parent who, with patience and humor, offers all the comfort the child needs—free of judgment or pressure.”
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ “Anything is… beautiful, gentle and so deeply, achingly honest, touching the heart with its poignant humanity.”
BookPage, Starred Review