A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of the Year
A warm celebration of family, creativity, Jewish culture, and the enduring bond between generations.
Sadie's grandmother is studying art and invites Sadie to learn alongside her and share in her passion. But Grandma passes on more than a love of art. As they spend time together, Sadie also learns about Jewish cultural traditions, including the meaning of chai—the Hebrew word for life—and the significance of the number eighteen.
When her grandmother is about to graduate from college, Sadie becomes determined to create the perfect gift, one that combines their shared love of art with the traditions she has come to cherish. Along the way, she discovers that the most meaningful gifts are made with love, thoughtfulness, and connection.
Beautifully illustrated and rich with heart, Eighteen Flowers for Grandma celebrates creativity, lifelong learning, family relationships, and the ways traditions are passed from one generation to the next. Backmatter includes information about Jewish cultural references, the Hebrew alphabet, and the author's inspiration for the story.
Praise
"A child seeks the perfect gift for her grandmother’s upcoming college graduation. A gentle tale of intergenerational bonding that will appeal to budding artists."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Alison Goldberg and Jesse White have achieved a picture-book trifecta: Eighteen Flowers for Grandma is a stirring ode to intergenerational family bonds, a gentle introduction to a Jewish custom, and an up-close look at the artistic process. . . Sadie's art-making process is captured both in the text and in White's elegant illustrations, which prioritize lilac, chartreuse, and vegetal greens and, per the book's back matter, incorporate the artist's "own take" on Jewish paper-cutting, a "traditional form of Jewish folk art... made by cutting figures and sentences from paper or parchment." It all adds up to a soothingly nutritive reading experience. Too bad Sadie can't give Grandma Eighteen Flowers for Grandma, a fine choice for anyone looking to give the gift of chai." --Nell Beram, freelance writer and YA author
—Shelf Awareness
100 Best Multicultural Picture Books of 2024 –"A gorgeous celebration of family, culture, and the enduring bond between generations."
—Colours of Us
A Best Book of the Year, 2024
—Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature
In Eighteen Flowers for Grandma, a young girl, Sadie, commits to finding the perfect expression of gratitude for her artist grandmother. . . Just as Alison Goldberg narrates Sadie’s development as an artist, Jesse White visualizes it in colorful, flowing images. . . Sadie’s facial expressions demonstrate her various moods. In other scenes, the young artist is drawn at different angles, occupying different sections of the page. White also integrates traditional Jewish designs of paper cutting throughout the book . . . This highly recommended book includes an author’s note, background information, and a chart of the Hebrew alphabet. Emily Schneider
—Jewish Book Council
