{"id":57496,"date":"2025-09-16T06:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T11:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/?p=57496"},"modified":"2025-07-12T13:16:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T18:16:23","slug":"childrens-books-about-moving-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/childrens-books-about-moving-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Children’s Books about Moving Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re looking for children’s books about saying goodbye, moving house, or change, I have gathered a list of picture books published in 2024 and 2025 that deal with these topics. These books can help with managing the anxiety and stress of leaving the familiar for something new. As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Anything<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Gracey Zhang<\/p>\n

What’s more powerful than a secret wish? A wish you say out loud.<\/em><\/p>\n

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.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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.<\/em> – Chronicle Books<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>A Book of Maps for You<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III<\/p>\n

What if you moved into a new house and found a secret guidebook? Look inside buildings and search for surprises in this enthralling, interactive book of maps.<\/em><\/p>\n

In A Book of Maps for You, a young cartographer leaves a one-of-a-kind gift behind for the kid moving into his old house. He\u2019s drawn and annotated maps of all the neighborhood places of interest\u2014no playground, reading nook, or chicken coop left uncharted.<\/em><\/p>\n

During a big move, a child can feel a lot of pressure to be excited for the future, to open their heart to the place they\u2019re headed. But the roads they\u2019ve been down hundreds of times, the familiar faces, and the house where they know every noisy pipe and leaky faucet all deserve care, too.<\/em><\/p>\n

A Book of Maps for You honors the homes we leave behind and the ones we haven\u2019t met yet, reminding us that they may just be two sides of the same coin. Lourdes Heuer\u2019s attentive text speaks volumes in each word, and Maxwell Eaton III\u2019s signature detail-rich illustrations call for re-reads to drink in and explore every page.<\/em> – Neal Porter Books<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Being Home<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Michaela Goade<\/p>\n

Today is a day of excitement\u2014it\u2019s time to move! As a young Cherokee girl says goodbye to the swing, the house, and the city she\u2019s called home her whole life, she readies herself for the upcoming road trip. While her mother drives, the girl draws the changing landscape outside her window. She looks forward to the end of the journey, where she\u2019ll eat the feast her family has prepared, play in the creek with her cousins, and settle into the new rhythm of home.<\/em><\/p>\n

With warm, expressive artwork and spare, lyrical prose, the story of a young girl\u2019s move toward rather than away from home unfolds.<\/em> – Kokila<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Home is a Wish<\/a><\/strong><\/em> written and illustrated Julia Kuo<\/p>\n

A deeply moving, gorgeously illustrated picture book about leaving home and finding a new place to fit in, for anyone dealing with a move, to another town or to a new country.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes we leave home in the mornings, in the evenings, or for much longer. But we always come back.<\/em><\/p>\n

Home becomes a wish when we move, when the new place isn\u2019t the same. Everything might be different: the sounds, the smell, the people, the weather.<\/em><\/p>\n

But home isn\u2019t just a place. We carry home in our hearts, and it can grow and change as we do in our lives. With time, new faces become friends, and what is different becomes familiar.<\/em><\/p>\n

Home can be a wish that comes true.<\/em><\/p>\n

Like Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away and The Day You Begin, this beautiful exploration of what it\u2019s like to deal with a big change is personal, emotionally resonant, and relatable. With page after lovely page of captivating art, New York Times bestselling illustrator Julia Kuo has created a lasting story about how time, patience, and an open heart can help someone feel at home anywhere in the world.<\/em> – Roaring Book Press<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>A Moving Story<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld, pictures by Tom Booth<\/p>\n

A sweet and uplifting story about trying, failing, and never-ending kindness.<\/em><\/p>\n

With the utmost care, brothers and professional movers Tiny and Pete will move anything anywhere because they know that nothing is too small or too light to wrap up tight and treat just right. But during their biggest move yet, a young panda\u2019s pet turtle goes missing and even the brothers’ efforts might not be enough to save the day.<\/em><\/p>\n

Full of fun word play and humor, this hopeful and empowering story is sure to move readers to feel big feelings and, most importantly, laugh. Perfect for fans of Ryan T. Higgins and Jory John.<\/em> – HarperCollins<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Space for Everyone<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Seina Wedlick, illustrated by Camilla Sucre<\/p>\n

This lyrical and heartwarming picture book follows a Nigerian girl who worries about her family\u2019s upcoming move. But she soon realizes that no matter where they go, there will always be room at their kitchen table for her community to gather around.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Zainab runs down the stairs in the morning, she knows what she\u2019ll find: Papa cooking at the stove, Mama pouring tea, and then everyone gathering around the family table. Neighbors stop by, and there\u2019s plenty of room for them, too. There are so many beloved rituals that happen at the table: homework and crafts, aunties coming to plait hair, and festive gatherings with neighbors and relatives. But soon boxes start piling up around the house, and Zainab worries about the move\u2014will the rituals feel the same in her new home?<\/em><\/p>\n

In the new house, the family table still feels cozy to sit around. And soon, old neighbors and new friends stop by, and everyone is welcome at the table. Meg Medina\u2019s Evelyn Del Ray is Moving Away meets Peter H. Reynolds\u2019s Our Table in this heartwarming story about how difficult it is to move, but how connecting with community makes everything better.<\/em> – Random House Studio<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>A Terrible Place for a Nest<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Sara Levine, illustrated by Erika Meza<\/p>\n

Juno and his mom have just moved into a new home, and he hates everything about it – the new school, his new classmates, his new room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just outside his window, Juno notices a family of mourning doves have started a nest atop the fence, and they seem to be struggling to make it work, too. Sure enough, Juno concludes this new place is a terrible place to build a nest.<\/em><\/p>\n

But, as winter turns to spring and the doves grow, so does Juno. And while this new place may be scary and sometimes lonely, they will all make it work, together.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lyrical and hopeful, A Terrible Place for a Nest is a tender and uplifting tale about facing new experiences with empathy and courage.<\/em> – Roaring Book Press<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Welcome Home, Esmerelda<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Daniela Ramirez, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga<\/p>\n

From a military family, Esmerelda discovers that home is where she\u2019s always welcomed\u2014thanks to music, dance, and the big, unconditional love from her extended family.<\/em><\/p>\n

An ideal picture book for kindergarteners and 1st graders who are moving, need reassurances during a transition, and could use the reminder that home is family.<\/em><\/p>\n

Papa\u2019s job in the military has taken Esmerelda and her family all over the world\u2014and yet she\u2019s never lived in the United States. Now she and her family are moving to San Antonio, Texas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although many of her extended family members live there, Esmerelda is unsure it\u2019ll feel like home. Even more, she\u2019s unsure she will fit in. Gradually, music and her sweet abuela spark bravery and the realization that home is not always a place\u2014it\u2019s familia.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heartwarming and hopeful, Welcome Home, Esmerelda will provide reassurance to any kid that while moving and change are difficult, you have the support of loved ones to help you through it.<\/em> – Charlesbridge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re looking for children’s books about saying goodbye, moving house, or change, I have gathered a list of picture books published in 2024 and 2025 that deal with these topics. These books can help with managing the anxiety and stress of leaving the familiar for something new. As of[Read more]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10,5,1,8],"tags":[10433,10437,10440,10457,10435,10438,1811,10562,402,10451,10452,10434,10432,10458,10441,10454,10453,10439,10436,10561],"class_list":["post-57496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-read-a-likes","category-reference","category-staff-picks","tag-a-book-of-maps-for-you","tag-a-moving-story","tag-a-terrible-place-for-a-nest","tag-anything","tag-being-home","tag-beth-ferry","tag-childrens-books","tag-daniela-ramirez","tag-fiction","tag-home-is-a-wish","tag-julia-kuo","tag-lourdes-heuer","tag-moving","tag-rebecca-stead","tag-sara-levine","tag-seina-wedlick","tag-space-for-everyone","tag-tom-lichtenheld","tag-trace-sorell","tag-welcome-home-esmerelda"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd0CXx-eXm","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57496"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57837,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57496\/revisions\/57837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}