Ohhh. the magic of going to stay with Grandma and Grandpa for two whole weeks. Two weeks of putting on shows with sock puppets, baking Martian cake, and playing tea party in the garden. Talk about the fun of using your imagination along with a Grandma who loves to use hers just as much as you do.
Until... the noises of Grandpa hammering to build new book shelves and the squeal of car tires out beyond the house send Grandma looking for a cup of quiet. "That's silly, Grandma. Quiet can't fit in a cup." Well, readers, don't be so sure.
This African American grandma and her lovely granddaughter are headed to a pair of comfy chairs outdoors. Grandma is filled with peace. Her "grand' not so much. Then, Grandma hands her granddaughter an invisible cup and says, "Walk around the garden and fill this up with any sounds you hear."
Grandma has just invited her granddaughter to discover the wonder of nature for herself. The great outdoors offers up one inimitable sound after another and this child hears them and finds them and saves them for herself in her invisible, magical cup for the moment and in her memory and her heart forever.
Brilliant Grandma will offer that same possibility to every child who is lucky enough to hear this story and see these gorgeous illustrations.
The letter that came from Bloomsbury with this advanced reader copy says that "several years ago Nikki noticed how few children's books featured Black children engaging in nature." Nikki "set out to create a series of stories" that will invite those children to step outside into the great, big beautiful world with all of its "quiet" just waiting to be discovered.
A tender story, a grandmother who stands firm in herself and knows how to lead with a gentle hand, a young girl whose imagination will inspire others and Mother Nature who pretty much always gets it right.
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
Read alike: Tiny Worlds by Brittany Cicchese
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From award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a beautiful picture book about the special bond between a child and grandparent, perfect for fans of Thank You, Omu and Fry Bread.
When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa's hammer fill the air, Grandma gets thirsty for a cup of quiet.
“That's silly, Grandma,” her granddaughter says. “Quiet can't fit in a cup and you can't drink it.”
But together, they venture into the garden to collect the calming sounds of nature, and their cup grows and grows.
A bee's buzz, a leaf's crackle, a whistling wind, a hummingbird's whir.
By slowing down and appreciating the gentler sounds of nature, Grandma and her granddaughter step away from the hubbub of daily life and refresh. Their time together made more special by sharing a cup of quiet.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-1547610730 Ages 3-6
Keywords: grandmother, noises, nature, outdoors, sense and sensation, love, 3 year old, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, African American author, African American and Black stories, diverse books, Black Girl books
