Where Is My Sister?

A poignant resource for helping children and families through the loss of a sibling

Salome was going to be a big sister. Her brother, Gerald, told her so. They watched Mama's tummy grow rounder and rounder, and their excitement grew, too. But then Mama went to the hospital, and she came home without a baby. The smiles stopped, and the house grew quiet except for Mama's tears.

"Where is my sister?" Salome asks. Mama gathers her and Gerald onto her lap and tells them that baby Toni is in the cemetery, but she'll always be their sister. Gerald says that she's in the spirit world. Salome looks for her all over. Is Toni's spirit in Mama's tears? Is she in the family's stories about her? Is she between Salome and her brother at the dinner table, or beside Salome's favorite tree in the backyard? As her family begins to find peace, Salome understands something important: "My sister is everywhere."

In Where Is My Sister? Shannon Gibney's poetic voice captures the heartbreak of losing an infant and the love that joins family members together. Huy Voun Lee's tender illustrations guide readers with quiet grace, honoring all those who passed from this world too soon. A resource for children and the parents, teachers, and community members who care for them, this book offers a powerful reflection for those who often feel alone during the painful and transformative experience of infant and sibling loss.

Shannon Gibney is a writer, educator, and activist. She is author of the children's picture books Sam and the Incredible African and American Food Fight and We Miss You, George Floyd, both published by the University of Minnesota Press, as well as several books for young adults, including See No Color, Dream Country, and the Michael L. Printz Honor book The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption, all winners of Minnesota Book Awards. She teaches at Minneapolis College and was named Educator of the Year in 2023. She lives with her two children in Minneapolis.

Huy Voun Lee is author and illustrator of several picture books, including Exotic Fruit, Origami Playhouse, and Like a Dandelion, which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and a CCBC Choice. She lives in New York City with her family.