Parker and Gia are inseparable best friends who are disappointed when Parker and her family go on a road trip vacation, parting the two friends temporarily. Parker decides to stay close with her friend by writing her letters during all of their adventures. As the family travels to interesting places around the U.S., Parker dutifully reports back.

This is a super sweet book. Even though the vocabulary is limited, sentences are short, and font is large, this book has more of a story than many other introductory level early readers. I think a lot of that is because the illustrations and social conventions fill in the rest.

Children will identify with having a close friend, and the friendship depicted here is quite lovely. The illustrations are open and inviting, using bold lines and rich colors. The characters reflect diverse backgrounds, making that another good reason to have this book on the shelf in a classroom or library.

The final page of the book has some really interesting information; it talks about the epistolary relationship between authors Zora Neale Hurson and Dorothy West, which allows for a very brief introduction to the Harlem Renaissance. It was an unexpected surprise to get this miniature history lesson. The call to action at the end invites children to write letters to family members or friends, which is still an important skill to hone. ( )