* "This excellent take on modern, blended families melds a believable, resonant story arc and winsome, child-appealing illustrations." -- Kirkus , starred review "McElmurry's.gouache illustrations revel in the desert setting, her homey paintings evoking the look of weather-beaten folk art while contributing to the story's overall humor and sweetness." --Publishers Weekly "Like Otis, Appelt is a gifted storyteller, and families whose circumstances echo Cardell's will welcome this gentle story, which is nicely augmented by illustrator McElmurry's gouache pictures, with their vivid desert colors." --Booklist * "Well, like Otis, this exquisitely told tale is a welcome addition to any collection." -- School Library Journal , starred review "Author and illustrator deliver on both substance and humor, capturing childlike emotions and conveying them in witty, comforting prose and in accompanying pictures of coyotes in bandanas and ten-gallon hats.With a sympathetic and charming main character, this story will be particularly relevant for a child with a blended family." --Bulletin  .