Jacob is nine years old when his life changes.
He wants a litter of puppies. But instead his parents have a different surprise. Jacob will be an older brother soon. And there wonโt be only one new baby. There will be three! When the triplets are born, Jacob thinks puppies are cuter. The babies look identical to him and he gives them a name: โthe Trips.โ
For a school science project, Jacob decides to study the Trips. It feels like magic as they begin to smile, talk, and grow. Slowly, he gets to know each of them. They call his mother โMamaโ and his father โDa.โ But what will they call him? One day, one of the Trips calls him โJay.โ
As each of the triplets become unique and more special with each day, Jacob starts to wonder if โthe Tripsโ is still a good name for them. They arenโt puppies, or a bunch of bananas, and they arenโt just โthe Tripsโ anymore. What should he call them that will show what they mean to him? Can he figure out their โforever name?โ And will he ever get a puppy?
Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily.