Alte Zachen / Old Things

Benjy and his Bubbe Rosa are at odds in Hanaor (Alex and Alex) and debut creator Phillips's expansive graphic novel. "You young people are so lazy.... You young people are always very rude," Bubbe says whenever Benjy does something she considers to be illogical, as when he brings his own bags with them to grocery shop for Shabbat dinner ("You don't need bags. They give you bags"). Bubbe's ire continues; she lashes out at a grocery clerk she deems skimpily dressed, and tells Benjy, "you don't even know what it means to be Jewish." As the pair continue their shopping, making their way from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side and back again, Bubbe revisits memories from her past, including trauma from Nazi persecution and heartbreak over a road-not-taken romance. Softly lined watercolor art portrays a moving narrative that alternates between grayscale present-day spreads and Bubbe's past in full color. Benjy is tender, patient, and conciliatory, and Bubbe takes comfort in knowing he's her anchor when her memories or their surroundings overwhelm. Even as Benjy and Bubbe's worldviews clash, the Yiddish-peppered telling renders a familial bond that is at once mercurial and unshakable. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 6 Up--Rosa, known to her grandson Benji as Bubbe, and the boy make their rounds throughout New York City to pick up groceries for dinner, from gefilte fish and brisket to challah and babka. As they both traverse the city by foot, subway, and ride app, there are references to kosher food, the Holocaust, and past gender norms. New York is depicted with a diverse population. Rosa's home and the city at large are colored in tans, grays, and dreary blues. Every so often she will experience a vision from her memory rendered in brighter colors, regardless of whether the experience was good or bad. A gentle subplot revolves around a guy who never stopped carrying a torch for Rosa. Her squabbles with strangers or Benji range from humorous to inappropriate, but people tend to extend grace and not take her remarks personally. This is a book with a lot to say about how we hold on to the past, express gratitude for the present, and support people with experiences beyond our own. Some of its most important observations take place in wordless moments for readers to notice and interpret on their own. Back matter includes a glossary of Yiddish terms used in the book. VERDICT Taking a walk with Rosa and Benji just might change how readers see the world and everyone's place in it. Highly recommended for graphic novel collections.--Thomas Maluck

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.