Booklists

CCBC Review:

Each day before school a young boy rides with his dad “past mountains that look like whale bellies” to his Baba’s. He finds his grandmother in the kitchen, “hidden in the steam of boiling potatoes, dancing between the sink, fridge, and stove.” He knows his Baba, who doesn’t speak English well, lived through a time when she didn’t have much food; now she stores it everywhere, and the boy eats all of the breakfast she sets before him: oatmeal with pickles, cabbages, and beets that come from her garden. If he spills, she picks up the food and kisses it before returning it to his bowl. When she walks him to school she always looks for worms, picking them up and putting them in a dirt-filled jar. Later, she will place them in her garden; when the boy asks why, she wriggles her fingers in his hand. He understands the worms help the soil; he understands her love. When Baba eventually moves in with his family, the boy brings her oatmeal and a cut apple every morning, kissing a slice before handing it to her. She grows sun-gold tomatoes in a pot. In the rain, he looks for worms. A story based on the author’s childhood memories of his Polish immigrant grandmother is distinguished by writing full of vivid imagery and tenderness, accompanied by gorgeous watercolor and gouache illustrations that are richly hued, earthy, and lush. Honor Book, 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center 

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Aging Families Food and Cooking Grandmothers Immigration and Immigrants

Publishers: Holiday House, Neal Porter Books
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780823450831
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Scott

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