Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai
A celebration of family, culture, and the enduring bond between generations.
Sadie's grandmother is studying art and invites Sadie to learn and share her passion. But Sadie's grandmother passes on more than her love of art to her grandchild; she also shares her knowledge of Jewish cultural traditions.
Sadie learns about the meaning of "chai"--the Hebrew word for life--and the significance of the lucky number eighteen. Her grandmother will soon graduate from college, so Sadie commits herself to finding a perfect way to celebrate with a gift that combines her love of art and newly learned traditions.
Readers will appreciate the relationship at the heart of the story in which a passion for art and cultural traditions are lovingly shared between the generations. Eighteen Flowers for Grandma is where love, tradition, and creativity intersect; it will leave an indelible mark on the hearts of readers young and old.
Backmatter includes additional information about several Jewish cultural references found in the book, the Hebrew alphabet, and a note about the author's inspiration for the story.
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Kirkus
A gentle tale of intergenerational bonding that will appeal to budding artists.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2--Sadie is determined to make a gift that is as sweet, creative, and filled with life as her grandmother is. Over their treasured weekly get-together to make art, Grandma explains how the Hebrew letters that spell chai add up to 18, a lucky number. Inspired, Sadie will make 18 of something to celebrate her grandmother's upcoming graduation from college. But what? A flower arrangement that Grandma admires at a cousin's wedding finally gives Sadie an idea that is "Grandma enough": a bouquet of 18 individual flowers crafted from all of her art supplies. The relationship between Sadie and her grandmother is warmly depicted as Grandma dispenses wisdom and gives Sadie her full attention. Sadie's efforts at gift-making are pretty creative, so it may be hard to understand her dissatisfaction with her first attempts, or why her ultimate gift is so much better. The gentle, rounded illustrations employ gray with a muted palette of pastel colors, sometimes with overhead perspectives or flurries of art supplies. VERDICT An exceedingly quiet picture book that lightly touches on Jewish traditions and will fill a need for stories of perseverance.--Jan Aldrich Solow
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
