Just Us
by Molly Griffin (Author) Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)
How can it be the holidays if everyone isn't together? Relevant and relatable, Just Us will provide comfort and warm hearts at a time of the year when maybe it's needed most.
What happens when a storm prevents all the relatives from coming in for the holidays? No Grandma, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins. No fun!
The family will have to adapt their traditions to versions that can be done on a smaller scale--from a more manageable stew dinner, a hike in the snow, or a game of cards instead of rowdy charades. Navigating disappointment with mindfulness and gratitude, the family pieces together a holiday full of new traditions, while still acknowledging that it's okay to miss the old ones.
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Publishers Weekly
After a snowstorm snarls travel, a family of four explores new ways to celebrate, “just us,” in Griffin’s emotionally aware story. With opening first-person lines, a youthful speaker describes the jubilant festivities that take place every year with extended family, portrayed with pale skin, including a “big, big dinner, everybody together,” “charades, loud and rowdy,” and three kinds of pie. In the absence of these traditions, the narrating child and a sibling, led by Mom and Mama, fill the day with cozy activities—cooking stew, hiking through the snow, playing a card game—that each prove enjoyable in their own way. When pent-up disappointment results in an understandable emotional outburst, the foursome loops in Grandma virtually for a “sweet” ending. Semirdzhyan’s scribbly-lined drawings create animated narrative scenes that capture the range of sentiments suggested by the story’s focuses on togetherness and adaptability. An apple crisp recipe concludes.
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission
School Library Journal
Holiday traditions can be a source of great comfort and fun. Conversely, a sudden disruption feels challenging to anyone, especially to young children. The little narrator of this story is used to having a full house for the holidays, replete with lots of food, loud games, and, of course, Grandma’s pies. Disappointingly, a surprise snowstorm prevents her grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their pets from coming, so the rambunctious family event becomes “Just Mom, Mama, my brother, and me.” Nevertheless, the little family gamely makes the best of the changed circumstances, cooking a pot of stew instead of a feast, going for a snowy hike, playing cards, and, with grandma’s virtual help, whipping up some apple crisp instead of pie. Ultimately, they realize that something different can still feel special. Semirdzhyan’s illustrations effectively alternate vignettes and spreads, with an almost sketch-like style lovingly capturing the domestic warmth of both extended and nuclear families. A recipe for Grandma’s Apple Crisp is included in the back.
VERDICT A charming, cozy tale that emphasizes the importance of family and flexibility in holiday celebrations.
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission
JUV013090 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Alternative Family
JUV017060 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Thanksgiving
Family life
Snow
Holidays
