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Before I Leave: A Picture Book
How do you say goodbye to your best friend?
When a little hedgehog's family tells her they're moving far away, she and her anteater best friend decide to play one last time, like nothing is changing. And though it's hard, they discover that while some things have to change, the most important things find a way of working out.
When a little hedgehog's family tells her they're moving far away, she and her anteater best friend decide to play one last time, like nothing is changing. And though it's hard, they discover that while some things have to change, the most important things find a way of working out.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2016
2 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
February 13, 2019
Zelda the porcupine is distraught to learn that she and her parents are moving, and that she will have to part with her best friend Aaron (an anteater). After telling Aaron the bad news, and assuring him that he cannot stow away in her luggage, Zelda joins Aaron in a number of last times: the last time playing telephone in their respective playhouses, the last time rowing on the lake, the last time eating ice cream together. It is only when she in unpacking in her new home, and she finds the surprises Aaron has left for her, that Zelda believes that perhaps it won't be the last time they see each other after all...
Like her debut picture-book, Boats for Papa , which offered an immensely poignant depiction of a young boy dealing with the absence of his father, Before I Leave is a pitch-perfect depiction of one of childhood's traumas: moving house, and leaving a beloved friend behind. Bagley's text is spare, but nevertheless captures Zelda's sense of desolation, and her fear of the future. Her artwork, done in pen and watercolor, manages to be both cute and emotionally evocative, capturing both Zelda and Aaron's joy in their play, and their sadness at parting. Recommended to anyone looking for good picture-books dealing with the issue of moving house in a young child's life.
Like her debut picture-book, Boats for Papa , which offered an immensely poignant depiction of a young boy dealing with the absence of his father, Before I Leave is a pitch-perfect depiction of one of childhood's traumas: moving house, and leaving a beloved friend behind. Bagley's text is spare, but nevertheless captures Zelda's sense of desolation, and her fear of the future. Her artwork, done in pen and watercolor, manages to be both cute and emotionally evocative, capturing both Zelda and Aaron's joy in their play, and their sadness at parting. Recommended to anyone looking for good picture-books dealing with the issue of moving house in a young child's life.
October 6, 2025
A young, bespectacled hedgehog is moving away, leaving behind her best friend who is an anteater. A sweet, melancholy read, with charming illustrations by the author.
March 2, 2017
This book gave me so many emotions that I feel like crying. I've never been moved so much by one book.
The illustrations are warm and detailed. The textured and delicately painted watercolours highlights that these two friends are going to have a connection forever despite the sad theme of the book. The illustrations really make the reader feel empathy towards the characters and situation. Both the text and illustrations compliment each other nicely.
I think children who have had to move away from a friend will appreciate this book very much. A gorgeous tale about friendship and change, sending the key message that the most important things find a way of working out.
The illustrations are warm and detailed. The textured and delicately painted watercolours highlights that these two friends are going to have a connection forever despite the sad theme of the book. The illustrations really make the reader feel empathy towards the characters and situation. Both the text and illustrations compliment each other nicely.
I think children who have had to move away from a friend will appreciate this book very much. A gorgeous tale about friendship and change, sending the key message that the most important things find a way of working out.
March 5, 2016
Perfect for kids experiencing change, especially a move to a new house.
May 16, 2016
Lovely story about friends who have to move away. With an anteater and a hedgehog!
March 15, 2016
The author of Boats for Papa returns with another poignant picture book. Hedgehog’s family is moving away. They are packing boxes and getting ready to leave. Hedgehog and her best friend Anteater decide to spend one last time playing together. They act as if nothing is changing at all, playing on the swings, heading out in the boat, sharing ice cream and enjoying their forts. Hedgehog is scared to leave and saying goodbye is very sad. But once she reaches her new home, Anteater is still right there in her memories.
Bagley has an incredible way with telling touching stories. Her deftness with these tender moments is all about the balance of emotion with not overplaying it into sentimentality. In this picture book, she balances the angst of moving with the idea that best friends can survive moving apart. While there is real emotion in leaving there is also a light of hope at the end that is so beautifully timed that it shines.
Bagley’s animal characters are pure bundles of personality, demonstrating emotions clearly, sometimes sulking and sad and other times bouncing in happiness. Her world is filled with color and her illustrations range from pages filled with details to smaller discreet moments. The interplay between the two work very well as the characters form memories with one another.
A lovely book about moving away from a best friend, this book handles the subject with gentleness and pure heart. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Bagley has an incredible way with telling touching stories. Her deftness with these tender moments is all about the balance of emotion with not overplaying it into sentimentality. In this picture book, she balances the angst of moving with the idea that best friends can survive moving apart. While there is real emotion in leaving there is also a light of hope at the end that is so beautifully timed that it shines.
Bagley’s animal characters are pure bundles of personality, demonstrating emotions clearly, sometimes sulking and sad and other times bouncing in happiness. Her world is filled with color and her illustrations range from pages filled with details to smaller discreet moments. The interplay between the two work very well as the characters form memories with one another.
A lovely book about moving away from a best friend, this book handles the subject with gentleness and pure heart. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
February 22, 2017
I like the book because the storyline is about moving away and leaving your friend. The author illustrates the sadness of moving away and how hard it is to not see your friend again. The main character in the story is afraid of never seeing he’s friend again after moving away at the end of the story he notices there are ways to see he’s friend again. The author shows the support of the family the main character has with him dealing when moving and how they explain the process of moving. The parents explain that they are moving to something better and he will see his friend again. I think younger children would have a good response to this book because they might be able to relate to moving or know someone that moving away. I would emphasize that moving away can help them to have new experiences but that does not mean they have to forget about the old experiences. This book can be one of those books I can have to help a child deal with moving away as well leaving a friend or family member. After reading this book I can do an activity about drawing fun memories with that person the child might miss.
March 26, 2016
Anyone who has ever moved, changed schools or jobs will be touched by this gentle story of two friends having to part because of a move. The story is simple and much is told through pictures to portray the deep friendship and the sad acceptance of change. The ending is sentimental, especially the back end pages, but is pitch perfect in capturing the ache of separation. This lovely picture book is recommended for readers of all ages who are reluctantly having to say goodbye to loved ones.
March 11, 2016
THIS BOOK IS TERRIFIC IF YOU ENJOY BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS, CUTE ANIMALS, AND SOBBING FOREVER.
August 23, 2016
A sweet story about a young hedgehog worried about moving and leaving her best friend behind. Before she leaves she wants to play "One last time, like nothing is changing." Very reassuring.
May 18, 2019
Sweet story about moving far away from your friends, complete with hedgehog and anteater illustrations that are utterly adorable.
April 8, 2016
My comments here are concerning a specific aspect of picture books; the portrayal of role of women in picture books. Melinda Gates and her foundation have been doing a lot of work on the vast amount of unpaid work that women do in the home, both in the U.S. and abroad, and how that affects the possibilities in their lives and their financial status. Currently, women do 70% of the work in the home, which is a sizable improvement from decades past. Interestingly, the media does not reflect this. Here, images showing men doing the unpaid work (housework and childcare) currently is 10%. I started thinking about picture books. What do they show?
Before I Leave is so disappointing in this regard, and especially so because the author/illustrator is a young woman. The parents in this picture book appear in four spreads, the mother wearing a frilly apron and the father wears glasses in all. The mother is engaged in housework in two of them, while the father packs his books in those. Hmm...so in this brand new book the woman's identity is wearing an apron which has a clear association with housework and holds sheets and household items, and the father wears glasses and holds books, a clear association with intellectual pursuits. In the one spread outside the home, the family is driving away, with the mother sitting beside the father, who is of course driving. Come on, Ms. Bagley, really! Men do clean the house, and women do engage in intellectual pursuits. It would add to your books to show this.
Before I Leave is so disappointing in this regard, and especially so because the author/illustrator is a young woman. The parents in this picture book appear in four spreads, the mother wearing a frilly apron and the father wears glasses in all. The mother is engaged in housework in two of them, while the father packs his books in those. Hmm...so in this brand new book the woman's identity is wearing an apron which has a clear association with housework and holds sheets and household items, and the father wears glasses and holds books, a clear association with intellectual pursuits. In the one spread outside the home, the family is driving away, with the mother sitting beside the father, who is of course driving. Come on, Ms. Bagley, really! Men do clean the house, and women do engage in intellectual pursuits. It would add to your books to show this.
May 16, 2016
4.5 stars
After reading and falling in love with Jessixa Bagley's previous picture book, the critically-acclaimed and superb debut Boats for Papa, I couldn't wait to see/read what Bagley would do next. With the same soft touch of portraying genuine love and sadness- this time in a different capacity- Bagley's Before I Leave is another beautiful and affecting picture book. A simple story unfolds: hedgehog's family is moving to a new home...taking her far away from her best friend in the world. Through Zelda the hedgehog's uncomplicated and pitch-perfect first person narrative, we see how she and best friend, anteater Aaron, face the impending move. Through Bagley's gentle, colourful and expressive illustrations, readers get to experience how Zelda decides to spend her time before she leaves, and how Aaron helps her face some of her fears about moving.
A soft and unassuming picture book about saying goodbye, Before I Leave is a wonderful story that brims with sensitivity, the happiness of friendship, love, and finding some sunshine in clouds of sadness. Readers young and old will find much to enjoy and savor in this endearing story. Jessixa Bagley is clearly a big talent in picture books and I cannot wait to discover her future books!
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.
April 18, 2016
Children have no choice when their caregivers decide to move, and leaving behind all that is familiar can be exceptionally hard. In this moving picture book filled with softly colored illustrations created with pen and watercolors, a little hedgehog named Zelda is disconsolate at leaving her best friend behind her. Although her family and Aaron, her anteater friend, reassure Zelda, she is unsure about what life is going to be like in the new place. After the two friends share more adventures, building memories, it's time to go. While they are now separated, Zelda finds wonderful gifts in her luggage--notes and drawings from her friend. She realizes that perhaps their relationship can survive the distance and that writing can bring the two friends closer. This is a great book for sharing with youngsters who are anticipating a move and for their classmates who will surely miss them when they're gone. As often as families move nowadays, this book captures a very common experience. Even though it doesn't make the pain of loss any easier to handle, it might provide some great suggestions for staying in touch and making the friend's departure less wrenching. I liked the fact that the author notes in her biography that she has had to move 16 times during her lifetime, which makes the story even more poignant.
March 4, 2016
This book is lovely and heartwarming. Before I even opened the book, the cover illustration of Zelda and Aaron playing on a swing together grabbed me and told me this was going to be a sweet story. The endpapers in the front show more scenes of these two best friends playing together in all seasons. And then the text begins with Aaron receiving the sad news that Zelda's family is moving away. Aaron looks forlorn as the packing process has begun. The illustrations really have the reader feeling the same way, especially as we recall these heartbreaking times in our own lives. Moving is often very difficult for both the person going and the person that will be left behind. And then Zelda suggests that before she leaves, they should play together one last time, "like nothing is changing." And they do, and then we find an awesome way that Aaron has helped Zelda adjust to this big change. This is a terrific book to help young readers deal with sad feelings that come whenever there is a move.
June 20, 2016
Before I Leave is a great book for early readers because there are very little words on each page, but adorable pictures to add to the story! This book is about a Hedgehog named Zelda who's family is moving away and she does not want to leave her best friend Aaron, the anteater. The story provides ideas on how to ease into a move and how to make living in different places a little less difficult by staying in touch through letters (which is a great skill to have that has slowly been disappearing because of internet and cell phones) I especially love this book because it has my favorite animal in it, an anteater! There aren't many books that include anteaters in them so I am always happy to find stories like this. A great book for a classroom or child who is going through a move or has a friend who is going to move. I can relate to this book because my best friend moved away to Michigan when we were in 4th grade, we kept in touch through email, but we haven't spoken much since.
August 22, 2017
Oh, okay, I was certain this was about death, for some reason? I don't know, I think the title was over-dramatic. Luckily, no. Just about moving away from a good friend, which is a problem most kids these days will face, with how often parents switch jobs or look for better neighborhoods.
The illustrations of the anteater and hedgehog playing were actually quite delightful, full of motion. Even though this book is about the sadness of leaving people behind, these images are so happy that it brings up the entire tone of the book before the happy ending.
I'm not sure how effective this will be in working your child through a move, since it might still seem a bit abstract to them. So long as your little one isn't prone to jumping to conclusions, this might work as a general story time book. Just make sure they don't think they are moving if they aren't, and it would be a book that leaves them with a little bit of sadness and a little bit of happiness.
The illustrations of the anteater and hedgehog playing were actually quite delightful, full of motion. Even though this book is about the sadness of leaving people behind, these images are so happy that it brings up the entire tone of the book before the happy ending.
I'm not sure how effective this will be in working your child through a move, since it might still seem a bit abstract to them. So long as your little one isn't prone to jumping to conclusions, this might work as a general story time book. Just make sure they don't think they are moving if they aren't, and it would be a book that leaves them with a little bit of sadness and a little bit of happiness.
March 22, 2016
"Before I Leave" by Jessixa Bagley, who wrote the beautiful and now award-winning "Boats for Papa", has written and illustrated another lovely and thoughtful book. This time the story tells the sadness of a friend moving away. A small hedgehog and an anteater, fast friends, must part, and so they spend time together one last time, and play. The text is quite clear, the hedgehog tells the story, showing his feelings of loss, and the resolution helps. You'll have to read the book to discover the end. The expressions and details Jessixa Bagley includes are just right, packing boxes labeled, anteater trying to stuff himself into a suitcase, their playing 'one more time'. Enlarge the cover so you can take a good look at their expressions. For those who must part from a friend, this is very special.
March 22, 2016
Moving can be really hard for kids. This picture book looks at those feelings as it follows a hedgehog and her family as they move; all the good and sad feelings mixed together. The major focus is on moving away from a best friend and the text is written as if it is speaking directly to the reader.
This book is an invaluable resource for any child who is soon to be moving with beautiful artwork and a solidly good story. I appreciate how faithfully the problem is presented and how comforting and realistic the ending is.
Pen and watercolor illustrations. PreK-2.
This book is an invaluable resource for any child who is soon to be moving with beautiful artwork and a solidly good story. I appreciate how faithfully the problem is presented and how comforting and realistic the ending is.
Pen and watercolor illustrations. PreK-2.
November 9, 2016
Sweet story of a hedgehog who is moving away from his best friend.
I really like the design of the book - the elongated form implies distance, it's a long way from one side of the book to the other.
Very spare text makes the illustrations very important - and they tell the story very well.
Expressions are wonderful - it's obvious that hedgehog and aardvark are good friends.
Love the endpapers, too. Some of the best I've seen, definitely an extension of the story.
I'd like to see this win a Caldecott. It's understated simplicity is really quite wonderful. Perfect for its intended audience.
I really like the design of the book - the elongated form implies distance, it's a long way from one side of the book to the other.
Very spare text makes the illustrations very important - and they tell the story very well.
Expressions are wonderful - it's obvious that hedgehog and aardvark are good friends.
Love the endpapers, too. Some of the best I've seen, definitely an extension of the story.
I'd like to see this win a Caldecott. It's understated simplicity is really quite wonderful. Perfect for its intended audience.
November 14, 2018
Beautifully illustrated. Dedication: For Aaron-my best friend for life. My best friend from first and second grade moved away, after second grade. She moved from West Virginia to Ohio. I moved to Kentucky and later to Texas. She now lives in Kentucky and I still live in Texas. We met for a lovely four and a half hour lunch in October. Best friends can be in touch for life! Linda and I are two peas in a pod!
February 17, 2017
Story about forest animal who is moving with his family and leaving his best friend. Though the animal is a hedgehog and the friend is an anteater they are not very common in the forest or in most stories. But the story about two friends missing each other and sending along reminders of their friendship is very good for kids to hear or read themselves.
August 4, 2017
What a tight perfect balance between words and pictures, and the text so spot-on spare. Dare you not to feel your heart ache. The emotional story is real and believable -- right up until the final suitcase, which is just a hair over the line (and so sweet it also hurts -- because you doubt it will ever happen to you).
January 20, 2017
Very sweet story of one friend having to move away. Comforting resolution. Great for children experiencing this common event and nice to start some discussion with too - welcoming new children and how they must be feeling, etc.
Adorable illustrations.
Adorable illustrations.
May 5, 2017
As someone who moved and left a best friend as a child this book punched me in the gut!
A beautiful message transcends its (also beautiful) illustrations as two friends play together one last time before one of them moves away.
A beautiful message transcends its (also beautiful) illustrations as two friends play together one last time before one of them moves away.
February 24, 2018
Cute story and pictures. I can relate to the characters as someone who had to move several times in my childhood. This is a good book to help a child prepare for or get through that rough transition.
March 8, 2018
A little hedgehog is moving away and leaving behind her best friend (an anteater). So before she leaves they do all the things they like to play.... one last time!
Very sweet, endearing illustrations. Aren't enough illustrations of anteaters out there if you ask me.
Very sweet, endearing illustrations. Aren't enough illustrations of anteaters out there if you ask me.
August 15, 2018
A great story about how it feels to have to move away from a friend. I love Jessica Bagley’s illustrations and the sparse text which says so much with so few words. Highly recommended for elementary libraries.
September 12, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. It is so adorable and the illustrations are so beautiful along with the adorable and loving story of two best friends where one has to move away. It literally almost made me cry because that is how precious this book is. Absolutely incredible. I love it. Go read it.
December 18, 2020
A very simple, heartfelt but reassuring story about a young hedgehog who has to move away and leave her best friend, an anteater, behind. The illustrations are charming and the bond between the friends is palpable.
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