i and the Great Divide (The Love Letter Series) (Volume 1)

The premise of this incredible children’s book on divorce is the “tin” family who are seemingly happy, until “n” has bigger hopes of becoming a capital letter. As dissent builds, “i” becomes confused and concludes that she is the reason why “t” and “n” are not getting along. Mimicking what can normally occur in broken families, “i’s” confusion leads her to believe that she is not loved, and as a result, she starts hanging around the wrong crowd (or in “i’s” case, letters). It is not until she confronts “t” and “n” that she realizes that she is loved and takes on a new outlook in life.

In the first of a desperately needed series, i and the Great Divide is the brain-child of McGlynn, who chose to use her experience “to help those with changing families.” Her ingenious use of rhyming couplets would not be complete without Urquhart’s simple alphabet characters. Together, their talents have not only lightened a burdensome yet not uncommon situation, but also produced a highly enjoyable book, designed for preschool and elementary-aged readers, that encourages an opportunity for discussion at its closing.