Her richly toned pages serve as a stage on which Evie and the other characters take the spotlight. The family move into a new apartment but have no furniture. Rosa, her mother and grandmother lose all their belongings and have to start over.

This isn’t a story of a longed-for infant going happily-ever-after home to loving, adoptive parents. Three generations of a hard-working family are left devastated when their home is destroyed by fire. Williams bathes her story in her characteristic rainbow palette of watercolors-even the letters of text are awash in various hues. At last, picture books featuring diverse family constellations are entering mainstream publishing in greater numbers, and Williams’ text does a fine job of depicting the complexities of adoption. Williams and illustrated by the author in collaboration with two-time Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka. At bedtime, parent and child recall the day's fun as Evie's father sings her a song ''all about Evie, who flew her kite up with the clouds and the speedy planes.'' Young children will feel comforted by the depiction of Evie's loving and supportive family and cotton to Evie's independent, slightly adventurous spirit. by beloved and award-winning author Vera B. Spare declarative sentences describe Evie's simple good fortune on a day where everything goes her way: ''She wanted something new to wear, and on the hook she found it'' (the artwork shows her reaching for a brightly colored cap) ''She wanted something new to play with, and her grandpa made it for her'' (he is seen crouching with a kite).

Young Evie has all the luck-at least in Williams's (''More, More, More!'' Said the Baby) quiet but inviting book. A poignant, timely, and universal picture book about fear, adoption, family, and the joy of fatherhood, written by beloved and award-winning author Vera B.

Home at Last by Vera B. Williams