"your eldest uncle, Leo,
has a nose
passed down from your grandpa."
Uncle Leo says,
"By always learning,
trying, practicing,
your grandpa knew
when to water the soil,
when to fertilize the soil,
and when to plant in the soil
just by smelling the soil."
The child who narrates this gentle family story never knew her grandfather; he died before she was born. It does not mean that she does not miss him. She wants to know as much as she can about the man who has had such a profound effect on the family who did know him. So, she asks her grandmother.
Her first question concerns how he looked. Her grandmother answers with a referral to her uncle, Mason, whose face is similar to her grandpa's. Uncle Mason has a response concerning what he remembers about his father. Each referral to another family member who bears a resemblance to her grandfather has her learning more about him.
He was quiet and patient, imaginative, a gardener, a storyteller, and a good listener with curly hair. All of those special traits were inherited by one of the children he left behind, all of whom have wonderful memories of the man he was. The best surprise for the little girl is that, like her mother, she has inherited her grandfather's curly hair.
Grandma asserts that even though the little one did not know him,
"You can meet him in your heart.
He is still living within us, who love him."
Jin Xiaojing's compelling artwork is done 'in colored pencil, watercolor, marker, oil pastel, acrylic, dip pen, pencil, ink, and brush on watercolor paper and drawing paper.' It is textured and patterned, creating strong and captivating images. On the front endpapers, the author has placed a note about her own grandfather, and the fact that she did not know him. At the rear, she includes a mandarin Chinese translation of the text.
This sparkling picture book debut is a welcome addition to any collection of family stories, particularly those that reflect the role of, and love for, grandparents.
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