To be guided by the belief that we are all students and teachers is to embrace learning every single day. On the wall under the windows in my library office, there was a banner voicing this conviction. Students and those younger than us, need to know adults, teachers, or mentors value their opinions. They need to know we are learning for and with them. And if they say something that astounds us, praise their insight, their thinking, and their wit.
There is something exceptionally beautiful about the relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild. The one is young enough to appreciate the wisdom in the elder and the elder is old enough to welcome the wisdom of the youth. This mutual affection and respect is lovingly presented in Just Like Grandma (Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, January 24, 2023) written by debut picture book author Kim Rogers with illustrations by Julie Flett.
On the steps of a house at the end of the street,
Becca watches
Grandma bead and bead
buckskin moccasins.
When Becca asks her grandmother if she can try, she hands her the tools she needs. The two of them bead side-by-side until Grandpa says dinner is ready. Next, Becca watches Grandma dancing barefoot in the backyard outside the house at the end of the street.
Becca leaves the house and joins her grandmother. The two spin until dinner is ready. Tonight Grandpa has made fried chicken.
When Becca sees what her grandmother can create with paint, she
wants to be
just like Grandma.
Together they work on the canvas until day's end. What will Grandpa serve for dinner tonight? Watching her Grandma win the grand prize for dancing the Fancy Shawl Dance at the powwow, Becca's heart soars. During another portion of the event, they dance together until Grandpa signals their dinner is ready.
Back home, Grandma watches Becca. She joins her outside because she wants to be like Becca. The next day, the grandparents wait and then celebrate with Becca. As the narrative closes, a grandchild is grateful for her grandparents, and Grandma perceives the precious gift she has in Becca.
Author Kim Rogers uses the storyteller's gift of repetition masterfully, fashioning a rhythm which reaches out and wraps around readers. She calls us back to the house and its description repeatedly. Each time Becca sees Grandma doing something she wishes to replicate, the same words are used. Each of these shared experiences is followed by Grandpa inviting them to eat a different meal for dinner, even at the powwow. When Grandma surprises Becca and wants to be like her, the narrative takes on an expanded cadence. Everything is tied together superbly by the duo's musings at the end. Here is a passage.
Becca sits down next to
Grandma and her pretty palette.
Let me try, she says.
Grandma shows her brushstrokes
on the textured canvas.
Together they paint the most spectacular sunrise
anyone has ever painted,
until the sun dips below the tree line
and Grandpa calls them in for pancakes for dinner.
The portrait of Becca with Grandma seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case introduces readers to these people bound together with love and admiration. The dragonfly to the right of them is seen one other time in an illustration within the book. Is there significance in its placement?
To the left of the spine, on the back, Becca and Grandma are seated next to each other. This time their backs are to us. A gorgeous shawl or blanket is wrapped around them. I like to think that based on the sky, the day is coming to an end. Perhaps Grandpa has just called them to dinner.
A golden tan covers the opening and closing endpapers. The artwork on the back of the jacket and case is used for the title page. It is also an interior visual.
used pastels and pencil and digitally rendered
the images. Her color choices radiate warmth and a closeness to earth. She shifts from double-page pictures to full-page illustrations which cross the gutter. Her full-page visuals sometimes contain tiny drawings and large amounts of white space.
Her depictions of Becca, Grandma, and Grandpa are lively and full of emotional closeness. Readers can readily understand the shared love. Whatever they are doing, they do it with an extension of the rhythm we find in the author's narrative.
One of my many favorite illustrations is when Becca and her grandmother are dancing barefoot in the grass in the backyard. It is a double-page picture. Above the large expanse of grass is a sky streaked in peach and cream. Tall leafy trees are placed on the left. Lovely dark pink and red butterflies float above the grass. To the right of the gutter, Becca and Grandma swirl, their skirts like wings. In the lower, right-hand corner are some flowers and a single butterfly.
Listeners will be captivated hearing the words written by Kim Rogers and viewing the artwork of Julie Flett when Just Like Grandma is read aloud to them. Both the story and images will linger long after the book is finished. At the close of the title is a letter by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Here she speaks about the value of role models and elders and Heartdrum. This is followed by an author's note, a section on beadwork and a glossary. This title has my highest recommendation for all your collections.
To learn more about Kim Rogers and Julie Flett and their other work, access their websites by following the link attached to their names. Kim Rogers has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Julie Flett has an account on Instagram. The cover reveal can be found at We Need Diverse Books. There is a letter from Kim Rogers there and the letter from Cynthia Leitich Smith. Kim Rogers is interviewed at Cynsations, the site of author Cynthia Leitich Smith. It is a wonderful question and answer post.
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