Sal has received a very special Christmas present but now she can't find it. Which is very upsetting.
She is happy that she has a new baby sister. Maybe. It's just - the baby takes up SO much of mom's time. And she still doesn't have a name. Her older brother, Billy, can be so annoying. And her uncle (dad's brother) is visiting which is OK. Maybe. Everything is just - different. And she's not sure if she likes the different. But over the span of the book, things begin to fall into place. And Sal decides life is grand.
If you like Henkes' books and enjoyed the first two Miller books (which focus on Billy) then you should pick this up. It would make a nice family read aloud. You don't need to read the Billy Miller books first to enjoy this story about Sal.

Love, love, love this author! Even better he lives in Wisconsin. ON WISCONSIN!
The cover of the book and then being familiar with this author’s writing is why I requested thus book. It did not disappoint. There are changes in lives of family members and we all have to learn to adjust. That is what Sal had to do when a baby was born into the family. It showed the different ways everyone one adjusted and how to also celebrate a holiday. Growing up can be tough. sal showed maturity and worked through the changes.

SUCH A SWEET BOOK! I loved this sweet simple book about a 4 year old and her everyday issues being part of a family. The author did amazing job of depicting life from the view of a little and showing us that even things we think are not a big deal are detrimental to a child. This was a quick read I could reread again and again. Another hit by Kevin Henkes and his Billy Miller series.

'Oh, Sal' with story and illustrations by Kevin Henkes is a standalone companion to two books about Billy Miller.

Billy Miller's little sister Sal is not sure about the new baby in the house. She's also sad because she lost her favorite Christmas present that Santa brought her. When Uncle Jake shows up, it's more than she can bear and the tears are continual. Sal has the middle child blues.

This was a sweet story about a young child with problems that she can't seem to articulate and loving parents who know exactly what to do.

Another winner from Kevin Henkes! Oh, Sal is a perfect winter read-aloud for preschoolers and a terrific book for young readers to enjoy on their own. Sal is a wonderful main character, the story is sweet (without being TOO much), and the adults are kind and caring.

Oh, Sal is the 3rd book in the Billy Miller series by Kevin Henkes. It follows Billy’s little sister Sal as she processes the birth of her baby sister and her becoming the middle child. She struggles with feeling like she has been forgotten and tries to find her place in her family. I read this with my 6 and 10 year old daughters. My 10 year old had read the other Billy Miller books but my 6 year old hadn’t. While this is a series book it is also a stand alone. Both daughters loved it and I enjoyed reading it to them.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books, through NetGalley.
Henkes offers a look into one day in the Miller's family life from Sal's viewpoint - Billy's little sister gets her own book. Readers join them right after Christmas and after the baby is born. Sal shares about her little sister, her big brother, Billy, her parents, and her Uncle Jake. She is struggling as she feels like the baby gets so much of the attention. The novelty of a baby sister has partially worn off as the story opens. By the end, Sal realizes how important she is to her family and how much she loves all of them.
Kevin Henkes has a gift for writing stories younger readers relate to. It was a delight to return to this family and see how their life continued after the baby' birth.

Kevin Henkes fans will remember the character of Sal, the little sister in The Year of Billy Miller and Billy Miller Makes a Wish. Sal can be a pesky little sister, but she is sweet and funny. She has a big imagination and a penchant for collecting items that are precious to her. In this lovely story about the Miller family, a new baby has arrived on Christmas. Sal is four and is very much feeling abandoned by her parents as they fuss over the infant. A holiday visit from Papa’s brother, Uncle Jake, leaves Sal angry and confused. She doesn’t like that Uncle Jake calls her “Salamander” and the new baby is boring and cries all the time. Sal’s parents have been so busy they haven’t even picked a name for the new baby. As if all of this wasn’t enough to handle, Sal's favorite new pair of underwear, (from a set adorned with a different flower on each pair) goes missing. It was a gift from Santa and cannot be replaced, yet the grown ups are all too busy to help Sal find them. This amusing story takes place over the course of twenty-four hours and is full of big four-year-old emotions, family situations, and gentle humor.

This delightful book is absolutely pitch-perfect. The Miller Family Stories are filled with honest familial circumstances that young children relate to, but are never condescending or preachy. This book can stand on its own, but is a wonderful glimpse into the beloved Miller family from a new perspective.

Kevin Henkes continues to give us characters we can care about and root for. There’s nothing worse than feeling left out when families come together at holidays and Sal needs to figure out how she fits into the Miller family when both a new baby and her uncle arrive.

Poor Sal! She's tapped between an older brother who does important stuff like homework, and a new nameless baby sister who everyone is oooing and ahhhing over. She used to be the baby and now she's been crying daily for a week AND she's lost her brand new favorite Christmas presant from Santa underpants!! Seriously- what more could happen to her! Kids, probably middle ones, are going to strongly relate to, and enjoy this early fiction story. I laughed all the way throuh it, so- heads up, parents! Read this to yourselves for a hardty laugh before reading to the kiddo! Your kiddo will sympathise with the character and will likely expect you to, too.
I love Kevin Henkes' books! I recommended them to my young readers when I worked at a library. This one is a winner, too!
Make a good gift for a little in this position.

I adore Kevin Henkes; I really do. "Julius, the Baby of the World" is one of my favorite books of all time — not just picture books, not just children’s books, all books. He’s won the Newbery Medal, won the Newbery Honor twice and was runner-up to a Caldecott Medal, for heavens’ sake! But somehow, as Sal Miller says in the book, the bell wasn’t ringing for me.

Four-year-old Sal has an 8-year-old annoying brother and a brand-new baby sister. And she’s not happy about either; nor is she happy with her cheery Uncle Jake visiting from California. She thinks herself forgotten and the most miserable girl in Wisconsin. This chapter book explores coming to terms with changes, especially changes in one’s family. But had I not know it was Henkes’ work, I never would have guessed. The characters in his rodent picture books may sometimes be self-absorbed, unreasonable or jealous, but they’re never ho-hum. Sal is.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Greenwillow Books and HarperCollins Children’s Books in exchange for an honest review.

First sentence: Sal was upset--more than upset--and, surprisingly, it didn't just have to do with the new baby.

Premise/plot: Oh, Sal is a companion novel to The Year of Billy Miller and Billy Miller Makes a Wish. Billy Miller has a four year old sister named Sal. Her story is set during the last week of December. (Christmas is over, but, but the novelty of the presents is not.) On this fateful not-so-great day, Sal is troubled by a couple of things a) the new baby (still nameless) is getting ALL the attention, b) her FAVORITE, FAVORITE, FAVORITE pair of underwear is completely missing c) her Uncle Jake keeps teasing/annoying her.

So one of Sal's Christmas present was a package of days of the week underwear. Her favorite pair is WEDNESDAY. Wednesday has a POPPY flower on it. She must find POPPY and so the search is on...but it isn't easy for everyone to drop everything and start looking for missing underwear. Especially if one is hoping not to be teased by the visiting Uncle Jake.

My thoughts: This one may sound a little odd or absurd. I mean why should readers care about Sal's terrible, horrible day, especially when with a little perspective--which most readers will have--that her bad day isn't all that bad in the great scheme of things. But the narrative works. Or at least it worked for me. Sal was a character that was easy to relate to. And sometimes it's the little things that can seem so BIG. The whole book felt like it would be a story passed down and repeated again, again. Sal most likely won't remember this--not really. But the stories her family tells about this day, well, she'll definitely be hearing about it for years--decades. And there's something super realistic and authentic about that.

This is the third book to star the Miller family. I love, love, love, love this family. It was just delightful to spend time with them again. SAL was a character that I just loved so much. I have been Sal.

Quotes:

Sal cried so hard her throat felt scraped. She was exhausted. The minutes seemed like hours. How long had she been miserable in her room? Shouldn't someone have come to check on her? Did no one in the whole entire world care about her anymore?

She felt so grown-up, she pretended she was a teacher and then the president.

That would be her wish--to make it through the entire day without crying.

Delightful! The story, which takes place in a 24 hour period, from four-year-old's point of view, is masterfully told. Kevin Henkes has a gift for capturing the thoughts and emotions of young children. Especially authentic are the complicated feelings the protagonist has about her new, unnamed baby sister. I have not read the two other books about this family and can attest this is truly a stand-alone.

"Oh, Sal" is an early grade novel and a beginning level chapter book by Kevin Henkes that is due to be released on September 27, 2022.

"Oh, Sal" is a stand alone book in the set of books about Sal's older brother, Billy- "The Year of Billy Miller" and "Billy Makes a Wish".

Sal shares her struggles with adjusting to having a new baby sister (who is yet to be named), losing her favorite pair of underware that she received as a gift from Santa Claus (so irreplaceable for another year), and being frustrated with her visiting uncle, who calls her "Salamander", which she doesn't like.

This is a sweet book that I feel would be appropriate as a read aloud starting at 1st grade. There are black and white illustrations throughout the book. Can also be perfect gift for a child welcoming a new baby at home. Kevin Henkes continues to provide appropriate, pertinent and timeless literature for children.

Kevin Henkes knows how to get into the heart of family. After getting to know Billy Miller, we now have a story novel about four year old sister Sal. Sal received from Santa a box of little girl underwear… one for each day of the week and each with a different flower. Her favorite is the orange poppy with the name stitched in silver. But now poppy is missing. Daddy, mama and uncle Jake all search for poppy but to no avail. Sal silently sheds tears over her beloved new unders. In the meantime, the new baby, yet unnamed has found her way into the Miller family life. Will she be named Beatrice, or Elizabeth after a grandmother?
The story seems to take place in one day just after Christmas where everyone is relaxed and happy, except Sal.
Will the mystery of the beloved poppy underwear be solved and will baby get a name.
This us a precious story filled with heart.
Thank you Mr. Henkes for keeping the Miller family going through your excellent writing!

Title: Oh Sal
By: Kevin Henkes
Interest Level: K-3
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Review by Lizabeth Ortiz Perez

“Oh, Sal” is a companion book to the “Billy Miller” series. Sal is now a big sister. At first she is a
bit perturbed. She is not the youngest anymore, everyone pays attention to the new baby, and
Billy is even more unpleasant to her. To make matters worse, Uncle Jake is visiting and his
boisterous, fun loving personality is downright overwhelming. Sal is not sure how this new year
is going to go because:

1. She misplaced her favorite pair of brand new underwear and
2. Her baby sister doesn’t have a name yet

Will Sal find her new place in the family? Will Sal find her favorite pair of underwear?
“Oh, Sal” is a joy to read and is very relatable for anyone who has lost their perch as the “baby
of the family.” The relationships are genuine and familiar.