The Leaving Morning
A brother and sister say goodbye to shopkeepers, friends, cousins and their rooms while movers load the truck, grounding departure in an urban neighborhood's people and physical details.
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson is estimated to take about 4 minutes to read aloud (250 words, 1 sentence a spread). Best for ages 3-5.
- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 4 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Words
- 250Word count
- Sentences per spread
- 1Text density
- Re-read tolerance
- 3/5holds up
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 3-5Age range
Our review
Cocoa at the deli, moving men in blue and final looks around emptied rooms make the morning observable rather than symbolic. The siblings move through a neighborhood network as it is being severed, so the loss extends beyond one building.
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away stays with two best friends playing among boxes until the truck is ready. The Leaving Morning widens the lens to family and neighborhood and then stops at the journey's start. It is useful for naming departure, but children asking what the new home will be like will not find that answer here.
Before you buy it
The book ends with departure rather than showing adjustment to the new home. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away centers the friend who remains and one last afternoon of play.
Themes
- moving
- city life
- family
- goodbyes
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