Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. It's war time, and women are needed to fill the men's jobs. As winter sets in, Ada Ruth and her grandma keep up their daily routine, missing Mama all the time. They find strength in each other, and a stray kitten even arrives one day to keep them company, but nothing can fill the hole Mama left. Every day they wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming on home soon. Set during World War II, Coming On Home Soon has a timeless quality that will appeal to all who wait and hope.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised by the Parents' Choice Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Young Hoosier Book Award. It also was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Georgia Children's Book Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Grand Canyon Reader Award. Also it was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Beehive Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book - Older Reader category by the California Young Reader Medal. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the South Carolina Childrens Junior and Young Adult Book Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the North Carolina Children's Book Award. It was recognised by the Monarch Award. It was recognised by the Caldecott Award. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

This book has been graded for interest at 5-8 years.

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2004 by G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers .

Jacqueline Woodson was born in Ohio and grew up in South Carolina. She has written several books for teenagers and recently won the Coretta Scott King Award which honours African-American writers of outstanding books for children. She has received two American Library Association Awards, and the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Excellence in Fiction for Autobiography Of A Family Photo, published by Penguin US. Jacqueline now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of several picture books. She lives in Texas with her husband and two children. E. B. Lewis has illustrated more than 30 books and is a former winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal. He lives in New Jersey, USA.