Two People Can

Shingai misses Dad. He misses clomping around in Dad’s big shoes, jangling his keys before going out for ice cream, and Dad flying him up in the air like an aeroplane. 

Missing Dad gives Shingai a jumpy feeling inside himself, and it makes him want to be wild: he shakes glitter everywhere, sticks his stickers all over the TV, and paints the leaves of the plants with Mum’s nail polish. Yet, when Mum suddenly acts out too, and then cries because she also misses Dad, Shingai feels strange. 

Going out to the garden, Shingai finds the only two flowers that he hasn’t destroyed with his sword, and realises that they are like him and Mum. Even though Dad is gone, there’s so much that they can do together. 

This gorgeous, sweet story about a parental separation – or death – is handled with care and sensitivity. Blessing Musariri’s story acknowledges that Mum is also feeling sad about the situation, and she shows her feelings in a human, relatable way.

The fact that Mum and Shingai come to a solution and a path of healing as a mutual effort is powerful, and there’s a gorgeously upbeat end to the story. Maisie Paradise Shearring’s illustrations are full of heart and expression, creating empathy aplenty in the reader.