Calvin, a curly-haired white boy, has just arrived at a new foster home with Maggie, a Black woman. This is clearly not the first foster home he’s been in, and Calvin has learned that no one ever wants him to stay very long. He’s angry and frequently acts out, breaking things. Each time, Maggie expresses her displeasure, but they both take some deep breaths together before Maggie suggests something to redirect his angry energy. Each night at bedtime she asks, “May I hug you goodnight?” and Calvin responds, “Nah.” After a while, although he’s still rejecting her hugs, he asks her why she wants to hug him, and each time Maggie responds with a characteristic she’s noticed about him that day: “Because you’re as persistent as a beaver pounding sticks into his lodge.” “Because you’re like a superhero protecting the world.” Slowly, Calvin learns he can trust Maggie, and at the end, he’s the one asking Maggie if she’ll hug him goodnight. This story’s strength lies in its realistic depiction of a child entering a foster home; it doesn’t end with Maggie adopting him. In fact, at one point in the story, Calvin looks at a photo of himself with his mother, and he clearly loves her. The text doesn’t why the mother is unable to care for her son; that openness will make it applicable in many foster-care situations. (Ages 4-7)

"Ultimately, the book is as much a model for foster parents as it is a story to provide validation of foster children's experiences... Gentle and wise--especially as a read for foster parents." --Kirkus Reviews

Calvin is in foster care, and he wants to trust someone, anyone, but is afraid to open his heart. He has lived in a lot of houses, but he still hasn't found his home. When he moves in with Maggie, she shows him respect, offers him kindness, and makes him see things in himself that he's never noticed before. Maybe this isn't just another house, maybe this is a place Calvin can call home, for a while.