JaNay Brown-Wood is the author of Imani's Moon and a professor of
early childhood education. She lives in Roseville, California.
Priscilla Burris is a graduate from The Fashion Institute of Design
& Merchandising and the illustrator of the Heidi Heckelbeck series
(Little Simon), Maggi and Milo (Dial), and more. She is also both
author and illustrator of Five Green and Speckled Frogs- A
Count-And-Sing Book (Scholastic). Priscilla lives in Southern
California.
*A grandmother welcomes her family, friends, and neighbors into her
small home, and everyone arrives with lots of food and energy. As
the guests show up, Brown-Wood counts up to "15 hungry grandkids,"
writing in breezy, confident rhymes: "Nine chatting aunties all
head for the den,/ and set down the cheesecakes that add up to
ten." Burris introduces the mostly African-American cast in smudgy
digital illustrations with crayonlike outlines, creating a vibe of
good-natured chaos. With no room indoors, the party moves into the
backyard: "Perfect in size, at the edge of Brown Street,/ sits
Grandma's backyard, where we all go to eat." A warmhearted tribute
to the messy joys of a big, impromptu gathering.
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
A fantastic feast unfolds as Grandma's family gathers at her very
small home.There are "TWO turkeys send[ing] scrumptious smells
through the air," "FOUR pots of hot greens and ham hocks galore."
And that's just to start. Beyond the food, there are the bearers of
all these treats. "SEVEN cool uncles stroll up in a line, / with
EIGHT jugs of lemonade, ice-cold and fine." This rhyming counting
book features a large family with brown skin, mostly of the same
shade with some slight variations in skin tone but lots of
different hairstyles, body types, and looks. The party doesn't seem
to be celebrating any particular holiday, just an excuse for
family, neighbors, and friends (there are a few white faces among
the friends) to come together and enjoy a multigenerational summer
day. But there is a problem accommodating everyone, and one of the
"FIFTEEN hungry grandchildren," a logical little girl with a yellow
headband holding back her Afro, has the solution. She suggests
using the backyard, and the party moves outside without skipping a
beat. There is a great sense of movement and bustle, and Grandma's
cat and dog can be spotted in each double-page spread. Grandma's
lucky to have all these family members, and young readers are even
luckier to be invited to this wonderful family gathering.
—Kirkus Reviews
Grandmother has prepared two turkeys and invited a cast of diverse
friends over for a feast. After the last one arrives, “That’s when
the walls bulge. There is no space! How will we all eat in this
too-tiny place?” Rhymed couplets with a delightful lilt explain a
common problem. As the verses count various items on each page up
to the number 15, the dilemma is elucidated. Burris uses Photoshop
with a soft pencil outline to capture the grandmother with her hot
pink blouse, pink headband, and pink ballet flats. At the
appropriate moment, the granddaughter solves the problem with “I
KNOW” in a close-up perspective on a spread. VERDICT This counting
story will have repeated readings during the holidays and all year
round.
—School Library Journal
No matter how big Grandma’s extended family grows, she always finds
room forrelatives and friends. The young, brown-skinned narrator
describes in (generally)metered verse a gathering at Grandma’s
house. The party includes one grandma,two turkeys, three neighbors
(who come bearing “FOUR pots of hot greens andham hocks”)…all the
way up to fifteen grandkids ready for a feast. When as manywarm
bodies as possible squeeze into Grandma’s small house, the young
narratorwhispers in Grandma’s ear her great idea to help everyone
enjoy the party more.Burris’s lively, cheerful watercolor
illustrations convey the frenetic nature of thisgathering, the joy
the relatives and friends share in being together, and
Grandma’sdetermination to make all her guests welcome. Burris also
includes an abundanceof natural Afro hairstyles in her
illustrations, offering a variety of mirrors for readerswith
naturally textured hair. Children and adults alike will appreciate
all theways this family enjoys one another’s company. A fine
addition to book collectionsabout families, food, counting, and
joyous gatherings.
—Horn Book Magazine
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