This book is entirely charming. Whimsical and thoughtful and funny and profound and warm.

This is very much a story about found family. It has the best aspects of a children’s book, with life lessons and food for thought throughout, while writing from the perspective of an adult. I loved that, because the focus became on the importance of caring for, protecting, and defending children, while also finding joy in life. 

The children were a lot more unusual that I expected, and the narrative about prejudice and preconceived notions benefited from that.

There were some moments that I felt were a little awkward or a little on the nose, but otherwise, this was a very clever and heartwarming book and a delight to read.