What do you think?
Rate this book
Away
Love shines through in the sticky notes shared between a mother and daughter in this picture book about making time for family in the midst of our busy lives.
Between work and school, homework and housework, a mother and daughter don’t always get to spend as much time together as they’d like. Add to that a little girl’s fears about leaving home for the first time, and the need to stay close through handwritten notes becomes even more important. As the camp departure date gets closer, Mom does her best to soothe her daughter’s nerves. A visit from her grandmother helps to calm her fears and convince her that she’ll have a good time, even away from her mother and beloved cat. Camp ends up being a wonderful adventure – but nothing is sweeter than a back-at-home reunion.
Qin Leng’s watercolor illustrations are the perfect complement to Emil Sher’s simple text. This nuanced story about a parent and child’s unconventional way of connecting is full of humor and affection. Young readers will enjoy spotting Lester the cat as he paws his way into the story.
Between work and school, homework and housework, a mother and daughter don’t always get to spend as much time together as they’d like. Add to that a little girl’s fears about leaving home for the first time, and the need to stay close through handwritten notes becomes even more important. As the camp departure date gets closer, Mom does her best to soothe her daughter’s nerves. A visit from her grandmother helps to calm her fears and convince her that she’ll have a good time, even away from her mother and beloved cat. Camp ends up being a wonderful adventure – but nothing is sweeter than a back-at-home reunion.
Qin Leng’s watercolor illustrations are the perfect complement to Emil Sher’s simple text. This nuanced story about a parent and child’s unconventional way of connecting is full of humor and affection. Young readers will enjoy spotting Lester the cat as he paws his way into the story.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2017
3 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
July 1, 2017
A picturebook story about a (busy) single mom (okay, can we imagine any single mom as not busy?) and a (biracial) child who is preparing to go to sleep-away camp for the very first time. And is not really sure she wants to go. The really unique aspect of this story is that it is told entirely in post-it notes, in an exchange between them. That narrative difference in a picturebook is basically worth your taking a look at it, since it makes the narrative a little challenging, worth talking about with a kid. You have to figure out a little bit, which I like. But maybe younger kids would find it confusing.
The mother works very hard to be positive, strategic, trying different angles to cajole her daughter into it. The grandparents even get involved.
The artwork by Qin Leng is lovely, sketchy, adding lovely watercolors, a good counterpart to the story.
And here’s another cool thing: Just coincidentally, my daughter L is going to sleep-away (Girl Scout) camp for the Very First Time tomorrow night (!), and today of all days I am in the library and I see the cover of this book, I don’t even know what it is about, I bring it home and it is actually about a daughter gong to sleep-away camp! And she is reading it right now, as I type this!
And now she is finished. I ask her: “You like it?” “Yeah! It’s kinda funny. The mom is kind of sneaky, but really nice! But Dad, you know I really want to go to camp. You know I’m not like this girl, right?”
“Whew!” I joked, because I knew this, that she was not nervous about it, she has had other sleepovers with friends and so on, “I was afraid I was going to have to write a buncha post it notes all night and tomorrow to get you to go!”
P.S.: How was it? "It was awesome. Can I go two weeks next year?" She would be happy to have it be two weeks of sleepaway camp, too!
The mother works very hard to be positive, strategic, trying different angles to cajole her daughter into it. The grandparents even get involved.
The artwork by Qin Leng is lovely, sketchy, adding lovely watercolors, a good counterpart to the story.
And here’s another cool thing: Just coincidentally, my daughter L is going to sleep-away (Girl Scout) camp for the Very First Time tomorrow night (!), and today of all days I am in the library and I see the cover of this book, I don’t even know what it is about, I bring it home and it is actually about a daughter gong to sleep-away camp! And she is reading it right now, as I type this!
And now she is finished. I ask her: “You like it?” “Yeah! It’s kinda funny. The mom is kind of sneaky, but really nice! But Dad, you know I really want to go to camp. You know I’m not like this girl, right?”
“Whew!” I joked, because I knew this, that she was not nervous about it, she has had other sleepovers with friends and so on, “I was afraid I was going to have to write a buncha post it notes all night and tomorrow to get you to go!”
P.S.: How was it? "It was awesome. Can I go two weeks next year?" She would be happy to have it be two weeks of sleepaway camp, too!
May 1, 2017
Sweet tale about a young girl who is anxious about going to summer camp. She and her mother communicate via post-it notes regarding the subject.
The ink and watercolor illustrations are nicely detailed and complemented the narrative well. The fact that the story portrays a multiracial, single-parent family is incidental, and I love that it is completely natural and not even mentioned.
I was torn about the unique way that this story flowed. The reader can see that the family spends time together, but I dislike the perception that the main form of communication is via notes. It's a funny way to have an 'argument' without having a heated discussion, but it also seemed to present a uncommunicative relationship.
Also, based on the math problems the girl was assigned for homework, I assume she was only about 6 or 7 years old. Two weeks at summer camp for a child that young seems a bit long to me as well, but I know anecdotally that children can be ready for this length of separation at this age.
Yet as a mom, I wasn't even close to being ready for our girls to go away to a camp like this when our girls were that young.
Finally, I appreciate that the family shows that they aren't very affluent, for example going to the laundromat. So it seems a little bit contradictory for the young girl to be going away to a two-week camp, as overnight summer camps and, especially, ones that are longer than one week can be extremely expensive.
Whether the mom saved up for it or it was paid for by someone else is unclear, but it seems to be a sweet tradition one parent shares with her daughter.
.
The ink and watercolor illustrations are nicely detailed and complemented the narrative well. The fact that the story portrays a multiracial, single-parent family is incidental, and I love that it is completely natural and not even mentioned.
I was torn about the unique way that this story flowed. The reader can see that the family spends time together, but I dislike the perception that the main form of communication is via notes. It's a funny way to have an 'argument' without having a heated discussion, but it also seemed to present a uncommunicative relationship.
Also, based on the math problems the girl was assigned for homework, I assume she was only about 6 or 7 years old. Two weeks at summer camp for a child that young seems a bit long to me as well, but I know anecdotally that children can be ready for this length of separation at this age.
Yet as a mom, I wasn't even close to being ready for our girls to go away to a camp like this when our girls were that young.
Finally, I appreciate that the family shows that they aren't very affluent, for example going to the laundromat. So it seems a little bit contradictory for the young girl to be going away to a two-week camp, as overnight summer camps and, especially, ones that are longer than one week can be extremely expensive.
Whether the mom saved up for it or it was paid for by someone else is unclear, but it seems to be a sweet tradition one parent shares with her daughter.
.
February 14, 2017
Won this lovely thing in a Goodreads giveaway and I couldn't be happier. A gorgeous story told through post-it notes about a mother and daughter. I've newly discovered Qin Leng's illustrations and I'm so in love with them.
April 19, 2017
The ONLY problem I have with this sweet, loving book about a brown boy and his white single mom preparing for sleepaway camp is a couple of kludgey midsentence text breaks between the Post-Its they use to communicate. Literally. Everything else is PERFECT.
February 15, 2018
Wow those illustrations.
A child goes to sleep away camp for the first time. Letters to mom are told in sticky-notes, with memories shared of mom's time at sleep away camp too!
A child goes to sleep away camp for the first time. Letters to mom are told in sticky-notes, with memories shared of mom's time at sleep away camp too!
May 22, 2019
This is cute, though I don't really remember why I added it. It's a sweet story between a mom and her daughter about summer camp - there isn't really much more to say. Definitely topical for the season.
September 4, 2017
Very sweet.
April 27, 2017
A child and his/her mother correspond mostly in sticky notes, and we see as the child prepares to go to sleep-away camp. Beautiful water-color illustrations and a unique narrative style make this book stand out from others in its field.
August 16, 2017
I guess I may be in the minority here, but to me, this was just SO sad. A mom and child corresponding by Post-It Notes? Never be too busy to talk to your child face to face. They grow up so fast.
March 25, 2017
Received as an ARC from House of Anansi Press & Groundwood Books.
Away is so subtle. Told strictly through notes left on Post-Its, the fears of the daughter and reassurances from the mother are so heart-tugging. The cute watercolour illustrations are an added subtlety.
Away is so subtle. Told strictly through notes left on Post-Its, the fears of the daughter and reassurances from the mother are so heart-tugging. The cute watercolour illustrations are an added subtlety.
February 5, 2017
Lovely ink and watercolor illustrations that beg readers to take a second look complement a sweet and relatable story from Canada about the fears a girl has about leaving home for summer camp. While both are busy, especially the mother, and they don't always have time to talk things out, they still manage to communicate through a series of sticky notes they leave for one another. (Ah, yes, communication in the modern age!) As the story develops, told through those images and those notes, readers will get a glimpse of the girl's fears and the mother's constant reassurances that things will be just fine, but they will also come to realize that the mother has been through a very similar experience the first time she went away for camp. Clearly, these two love each other, as evidenced through the messages they write to one another, and the images throughout the book. And who can resist the family cat, Lester, who even adds his own stamp of approval on every page. The last page shows all three members of this family equally thrilled to be reunited, with Mother and Child embracing, and their feline friend reaching out to both of them. I liked how the girl's grandmother is able to reveal a few secrets about her own daughter's fears when she went away. I would certainly share this with anyone heading off on a journey or trying something new since it does a great job of counteracting the fears just about anyone would have over a new experience. The use of all those scrawled notes is particularly effective here.
July 15, 2017
This picture book has a whole new structure from others I have read. The text is all in post it notes on walls, appliances, calendar, etc. move the story along. Mother communicating with child who is going to a sleepaway camp for a week. There is a note later in the story that makes me think the child may be using a hearing aid and that is the reason for the post it notes. Interesting story and very heartwarming at the end.
April 29, 2017
Beautiful but not a great read aloud.
August 10, 2017
Do you know someone who is heading out to sleepover camp for the first time this summer? You must go out and get your hands on a copy of the beautiful Away by Emil Sher and Qin Leng, illustrator. This book immediately caught my eye sitting on top of the library book shelf for its beautiful cover illustrations. When I opened it up, I was not disappointed as the story is equally as beautiful as the illustrations.
In this irreverent picture book, Sher and Leng tell the story of the apprehension, nervousness, and anticipation of heading to sleepover camp. For many of us, our lives are so busy with work, school, activities, and the general goings on of everyday that connecting can be tricky. The story is so unique because it is told in a series of Post-it notes between mother and daughter. The handwritten notes between the two show us another way of connecting when life gets too busy for the face to face. The illustrations truly make this book. They are bright and liquid and perfectly convey the feelings of busy family life, summer, and the outdoors. Perfect for your little campers, children will find it especially fun trying to find Lester the cat on every page.
Published by Groundwood Books and House of Anansi Press, this is a beautiful book to add to your collection.
In this irreverent picture book, Sher and Leng tell the story of the apprehension, nervousness, and anticipation of heading to sleepover camp. For many of us, our lives are so busy with work, school, activities, and the general goings on of everyday that connecting can be tricky. The story is so unique because it is told in a series of Post-it notes between mother and daughter. The handwritten notes between the two show us another way of connecting when life gets too busy for the face to face. The illustrations truly make this book. They are bright and liquid and perfectly convey the feelings of busy family life, summer, and the outdoors. Perfect for your little campers, children will find it especially fun trying to find Lester the cat on every page.
Published by Groundwood Books and House of Anansi Press, this is a beautiful book to add to your collection.
October 26, 2018
Away is a children's picture book written by Emil Sher and illustrated by Qin Leng, which is a book about a girl and her mother, as the little girl is getting ready for sleep-away camp for the first time.
Sher's text is rather simple and straightforward. It is told in an ingenious manner via a series of post-its – a modern equivalent to the epistle novel told in children picture format. Leng's illustrations are wonderful depicted, rather reminiscent of watercolors.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. A girl is going to sleep-away camp for the first time and she is naturally scared to do so. The story is told via post-it notes, mainly because mother and child seem to have busy schedules and this is the manner on how they communicate. It is an endearing story told in very few words as possible.
All in all, Away is a wonderful story about a girl and her fears of going away for sleep-away camp and her relationship with her mother that insists that she should go.
Sher's text is rather simple and straightforward. It is told in an ingenious manner via a series of post-its – a modern equivalent to the epistle novel told in children picture format. Leng's illustrations are wonderful depicted, rather reminiscent of watercolors.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. A girl is going to sleep-away camp for the first time and she is naturally scared to do so. The story is told via post-it notes, mainly because mother and child seem to have busy schedules and this is the manner on how they communicate. It is an endearing story told in very few words as possible.
All in all, Away is a wonderful story about a girl and her fears of going away for sleep-away camp and her relationship with her mother that insists that she should go.
July 8, 2017
Sher, Emil Away, illustrated by Qin Leng. PICTURE BOOK. Groundwood Books, 2017. $19.
A busy little girl and her mother communicate through love and post-it notes. The little girl is anxious about going to sleepaway camp. Then a visit from her grandmother reveals something about her mother’s own history with camp – a little something that gives her the courage to go and build her own memories.
Leng’s watercolor illustrations are a fitting compliment to Sher’s sparse, but telling narrative. A great book to explore and teach a child to look as carefully at the pictures to understand the full meaning of the text. A nice sideways step from wordless picture books.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
A busy little girl and her mother communicate through love and post-it notes. The little girl is anxious about going to sleepaway camp. Then a visit from her grandmother reveals something about her mother’s own history with camp – a little something that gives her the courage to go and build her own memories.
Leng’s watercolor illustrations are a fitting compliment to Sher’s sparse, but telling narrative. A great book to explore and teach a child to look as carefully at the pictures to understand the full meaning of the text. A nice sideways step from wordless picture books.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
January 4, 2020
"I bought you bug spray. Bring homework to laundromat. I quiz. You fold."
This story is about an exchange of post-it notes between a mom and a kid who is getting ready to go away to sleepover camp for the first time. It's a cute storyline, but what I really love about this book is the picture it creates of life between this mom and kid and cat and grandmother. I love the everyday diversity in this book. The mom looks white, the kid (who is described in blurbs as a girl, but I don't see any obvious gender indications, and their name is "Skip") looks mixed, there's no second parent in the picture, and it's all just treated as par for the course. Their life together looks so great, and I love Lester the cat. Super cute story. Would be better for one-on-one reading, because of the post-it note format and the cute details.
This story is about an exchange of post-it notes between a mom and a kid who is getting ready to go away to sleepover camp for the first time. It's a cute storyline, but what I really love about this book is the picture it creates of life between this mom and kid and cat and grandmother. I love the everyday diversity in this book. The mom looks white, the kid (who is described in blurbs as a girl, but I don't see any obvious gender indications, and their name is "Skip") looks mixed, there's no second parent in the picture, and it's all just treated as par for the course. Their life together looks so great, and I love Lester the cat. Super cute story. Would be better for one-on-one reading, because of the post-it note format and the cute details.
August 7, 2017
This book has a very unique idea. The only words used in the book are written on post it notes that the mother and daughter exchange throughout the story because they are usually too busy to actually connect. I'm sure it is an idea that many children can relate to with at least one of their parents. The story takes place a few weeks before Skip is supposed to go away to camp, which is not something she's looking forward to, at all. Through the pictures and the sparse words, you need to infer so much about the family and what is happening. Therefore, this book would be great for a lesson on inferring and/or character traits and how characters change in a story. It is a beautiful book that I think kids will want to read on their own to study the pictures after you do a read aloud.
November 7, 2017
A busy mom and child communicate via sticky notes, leading up to the child’s departure for sleep away camp. This is a sweet story, with lovely watercolor wash illustrations that reveal the affection among child, parent, pets and visiting grandmother. My reservations are two: the sticky notes will be hard for children to read and are difficult for adult readers to read fluently, akin to the difficulty reading aloud a graphic novel and I fear this is a story that appeals more to adults than kids. There are lots of recognition moments: the mom searching the morass under the bed, quizzing math facts while folding laundry, such that she, rather than the child, feels like the hero of the story.
Only the text on the flap indicate the sex of the child.
Only the text on the flap indicate the sex of the child.
December 23, 2019
I love the illustrations in this book. Qin Leng is certainly showing her illlustration muscle and I love the motion in this watercolour (?) and ink work. This is not a traditional picture book in which author Emil Sher tells the story in notes between child and parent. I always wonder how the author comes up with this concept. Do they write the book in bullet points? Away is the type of book one may wish to read twice to ensure that nothing was missed. I also couldn’t tell because mom and child don’t seem to be interacting in person but in notes to each other. Is it because mom is always at work? Is Skip a latchkey kid? I think I’ll need a synopsis for guidance. I am not sure if the book needs the narration but it is beautiful nonetheless.
December 3, 2017
The description says it is a girl, but the small hints made me think Skip is a boy (I know a lot of folks have unusual names these days, but I only know male "Skips" - at least so far).
The beginning has a bit of suspense and requires reading closely for detail to find out why and where Skip is going. Take note of the calendar events that includes 'hearing aid battery' and allow young readers infer the reason for all the note-writing.
Light lines of illustrations (done in ink and watercolor) support and effectively extend the text.
The beginning has a bit of suspense and requires reading closely for detail to find out why and where Skip is going. Take note of the calendar events that includes 'hearing aid battery' and allow young readers infer the reason for all the note-writing.
Light lines of illustrations (done in ink and watercolor) support and effectively extend the text.
December 11, 2020
This is a sweet book about a mother and child that communicate everything through sticky notes because they hardly ever see each other. The child's notes seem mostly unhappy, partially because of circumstances and I think it partially because that is the way he has to communicate.
I like that the book can be relatable to some children whose parents may have busy lives. I wish it would have had a happier ending, the book seemed heavy all throughout.
I would use this book in hopes that a child would be able to relate to it and know that they are not alone.
I like that the book can be relatable to some children whose parents may have busy lives. I wish it would have had a happier ending, the book seemed heavy all throughout.
I would use this book in hopes that a child would be able to relate to it and know that they are not alone.
February 25, 2024
This is so subtle and just what children can identify with. It's easy to miss (I didn't read any other reviews that mentioned it), but either the mother or the child is deaf. There is a hearing aid reminder on the calendar. Hence the post-it notes, which adds another layer to the story. I also appreciated the diversity between mother and child. You get to decide if it's a boy or girl. All in all, it's a reassuring story for children who go away for weeks at a time during the summer. Whimsical illustrations!
February 9, 2017
lovely, beautiful book about a child heading to summer camp and her fears of leaving her mother. The mother is understanding and positive, keeping an open line of communication with the child and reassuring her that she will have a great time. The grandparents come to visit and help the child with this new event. The illustrations are beautiful and lively. This is a wonderful book to read with your children, especially if they are about to go away from home for some time.
July 20, 2017
Lovely illustrations, and a charming story. It reminds me of when my daughter was 5, and getting ready for kindergarten. She spent the last two weeks of summer worried sick that she wouldn't make any friends in her new school. Every day, it was "do I have to go to kindergarten?" What if I don't like it. Then the first day of school arrives, and when she comes home from school, she spend the next several hours telling us how great it was, and how many new friends she had made, etc...
January 2, 2020
This story was so cute, it put a smile on my face.
Mainly because Sticky Notes were used~ I love using stick notes for stuff! So the story being told through that method was very fun & different from the normal.
And I get how this kid feels. But in the end, we're all nervous & scared to go away to camp.
But once you get there it's all fun & laughs. :)
:::(Reading Times: 7:34pm to 7:38pm):::
Mainly because Sticky Notes were used~ I love using stick notes for stuff! So the story being told through that method was very fun & different from the normal.
And I get how this kid feels. But in the end, we're all nervous & scared to go away to camp.
But once you get there it's all fun & laughs. :)
:::(Reading Times: 7:34pm to 7:38pm):::
May 8, 2017
Told in post-it notes, readers learn that summer camp is coming and a certain camper does not want to go. Mom is ever present to reassure that everything will be okay, but when Grandma comes to visit a certain camper gets a glimpse of past Mom who shared many of the same feelings about sleepaway camp.
Clever storytelling accompanied by lovely watercolor artwork. PreK-2.
Clever storytelling accompanied by lovely watercolor artwork. PreK-2.
June 6, 2018
This is a sweet book about a young girl's fears of overnight camp. The fun twist is that the girl and her mother write each other lots of sticky notes. It's cute.
I loved the watercolor illustrations too.
Kids enjoyed the book but they were initially worried it would be a sad book based on the cover and title. It isn't the least bit sad.
I loved the watercolor illustrations too.
Kids enjoyed the book but they were initially worried it would be a sad book based on the cover and title. It isn't the least bit sad.
August 4, 2017
Sleep away camp can be a scary proposition for kids. Told through post it notes, this story's narrative structure is unique and maybe confusing for beginning readers. I would have to try it out with young ones to see if it works. The ink and watercolor illustrations heighten the tender and chaotic life of this family.
September 27, 2017
Beautiful, whimsical illustrations full of life and detail. A unique method of story-telling (through post-it notes between parent and child) that requires one to infer, from both the post-its and the pictures, what is happening and how each feels about the situation. Ends on a warm, hopeful note.
A lovely and charming book!
A lovely and charming book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews