How cute!! I love the idea of a heartbeat being their signal, I’ll have to remember this when my son gets older and goes off to school.

As a working mother who had a child starting preschool soon -this was adorable and tugged at my heart strings. I will definitely be buying this book before she starts school to help ease her nerves about going

This story is so cute but also teaches an important lessons.
You’re never far from your mama’s heart.
I plan on buying this book when it comes out!

This was a lovely book. I believe all children are nervous on the first day of school and this mother's idea helps in coping with the anxiety. It is a beautiful sentiment.

For fans of the Kissing Hand and Guess How Much I Love you comes an adorable picture book story about love and life changes.
Alex is starting school, and he is worried about missing his mom while they are apart. His mom and him create a system, putting their hands over their hearts to send each other love and to remind them that the other is there.
This is such a heartwarming young elementary picture book about the common fears/anxieties surrounding starting school and being away from family. I love how simple the gesture Alex and his mom create is, and I feel like it is something that readers could do with their family members to regulate the anxieties they feel. The illustrations in this book were very well done, with soft pastels and accentuating the heart touching gesture.

"What Will I Do If I Miss You?" by Melissa T. Shultz is a beautifully written and deeply emotional book that touches the hearts of children and parents alike. It’s a must-read for kids who struggle with anxiety about school, meeting new people, or adjusting to changes in their routine. But what makes this book truly special is that it’s not just for children—it also provides comfort and reassurance for parents who may be going back to work and dealing with their own emotions about being apart from their little ones.

Alex’s journey of navigating his feelings and finding a way to stay connected with his mom was so touching. The moment when he places his hand over his heart to "send a signal" to her whenever he misses her? Cue the tears! That simple yet powerful gesture perfectly captures the love between a parent and child, making this book not just a story but a lifeline for families experiencing separation anxiety.

As Alex grows more comfortable with his new school and routine, he starts relying on the signal less often—a beautiful way of showing his progress and confidence. And when he teaches his stuffed dinosaur to do the same when he’s at school? That moment was everything. It wrapped up the story in such a meaningful way, showing how love and connection can be carried with us, no matter where we are.

This book is more than just a bedtime read—it’s a reassuring hug for kids and parents navigating change. Highly recommend for families looking for a gentle, heartfelt way to ease transitions and offer comfort during big life adjustments.

This is such a great book and can really be used as a tool to help your kid move outside their comfort zone. I love how it highlights what independence in children can look like in addition to showing how fun trying new things can be - even when we are scared, nervous, or apprehensive.

I thought it was absolutely precious that the mother and son in this story had a special sign they would use when they were missing each other. Just a reminder that the days when your kids are so young are tough but they are full of magic in a way that is so special and so fleeting.

Wonderful story to read together before first days of school or during a time of transition. Well done.

A tiny heartwarming story about Alex and his first school day, when he misses his mom. Reading this book made me remember that love and care is deep within out heart and soul even if we are far apart. That the love will remain the same, warm and strong, even if we can't be with our loved ones. Alex learns to be away from his mom, to play with his classmates and have fun, to explore the world, and to grow- emotionally and mentally. Such a great book with wonderful illustrations!!!

This is a heartwarming story of a boy starting at a new school. His mother shows him love and understanding and respects his emotions. This is such a realistic little story of a working single parent with childcare needs.

This book was really sweet and a great conversation starter for teaching coping skills for kids who may be nervous or have separation anxiety. Would be great for preschool and kindergarten age kids.

4.0/5.0

A sweet conversation and coping tool from a mother sending her child to school for the first time. The grade is not mentioned, so a good fit for preschool or kindergarten.

I enjoyed this book a lot! As a elementary school librarian this is something I would definitely read this to my TK-1st grade students within the first month of school. Many of the students are brand new, new to our school or just fairly new to coming to school and come with a lot of uncertainty and nervous energy. A story like this can bring comfort to those students struggling with leaving their parent at home for the day while they are at school or even a daycare/preschool. This would also be ideal for a parent who is sending their little one off to school and want the process to go smooth while finding a way to connect to their child. Mom's and elementary school librarians, add this one to your calendars for August. This is one you're going to want for that first back to school month and those nervous little ones to calm their nerves! Such a sweet story about staying connected in a new and unfamiliar space.

This is cute story and for a child it may be ok.

It just feel incomplete.

It is short and to the point but it's missing an element of build up where the child would have had a major moment in which he missed and needed his mom and used the coping mechanism she taught him to comfort him in the meantime.

Overall it probably ok for a young child to get through since it is quick and to the point.

As a parent I like to teach my child to use what tools they learn. There is still opportunity to do so with this book but 'I feel it needed to have more.

This book would be great to get for a child that is nervous to go to school for the first time or has some anxiety about being apart from parents. It teaches a great way to help kids feel close to their parents even when they’re apart and also shows them that school is fun and it will get less scary.

Melisaa and illustrator Lilia Micelia explore the depth of the mother-kid bond. When Alex hears about school starting next week, A barrage of questions replaced his excitement. He worried about meeting new people and a new routine, which involves many changes. So he asked his Mama, “Will I fit in with the new crowd? What should I do if I miss you?” In response to this, his mother reassured him by teaching him a unique trick: "Whenever you miss me, place your hand over your heart, and it will be our signal; I'll be able to feel it and send my love." This method helped him ease his fear and face the day, allowing him to enjoy meeting new people and learning new lessons. Even in an unfamiliar environment, he still felt connected to his mother, and it helped him to stay calm. Through this story, the author introduced coping mechanisms to young readers, while the illustrator enhanced it by capturing varied emotions through soft illustrations. The reassurance message and the emotional approach toward separation anxiety will act like a guide book for preschoolers.

This book was such a sweet and heartwarming read! Missing a parent while at school is such a real and common occurence in the lives of little ones, and I give lots of credit to the author for choosing such a relatable obstacle to write about. This allows the relevant audience for this book to be very wide, and the book will therefore be able to hold meaning for a lot of kids, which is always great. Enough talking about the main idea - let's talk about the execution of it! Wow, wow, WOW!!! It's hard to perfectly explain just how smart of an idea the "heart signal" trick is. Kids will no doubt fall in love with it and, what's more important, it's easy and accessible. Kids that are feeling their separation anxiety creep in at school can put their hands on their hearts anytime and feel their parent's love. Lastly, readers can see how this skill works for the main character, which will help them be more drawn to using it for themselves. Bravo!!

This is a really great storybook about the topic of separation anxiety. Kids can learn about separation anxiety, whether they deal with it themselves, from this book. It is very sweet and compelling, informing children about a realistic issue in a compassionate manner.

The only problem I had with this book is that it is a bit difficult to read -- the font size is a bit small compared to the margins. It may be helpful to other readers to increase the size of the text.

Overall, wonderful book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

When Alex learns that he's starting school soon, he becomes nervous for his first day. What will he do if he starts to miss his mom? His mom helps him to create a 'secret signal' just for the two of them, and he discovers that she's always there, no matter what -- even when he's making friends and having fun at school!

A touching, heartfelt story for any kiddo, especially those who struggle with separation anxiety.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is helpful for children transitioning to school . I appreciated that it show cased a family dynamic of a mom and grandfather as primary caregivers. The illustrations were soft and colorful adding comfort to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Familius for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. I always had separation anxiety when my mom was dropping me off at pre-K and kindergarten, even though I knew my grandpa would be picking me up in a few short hours - so I completely related to the story here. In this book, mom preps her son for his days at school by telling him to put his hand over his heart when he starts to miss her, so they'd both be connected that way. I think it's effective and sweet and a great way to give kids an actionable thing to do with those big feelings when they're stepping out into big new things.