Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In lieu of attending summer camp each June, the young narrator of this intergenerational story, a Black child portrayed with beaded braids, spends two weeks at her grandparents' home. Together with Grandma, she stitches sock puppets, bakes "Martian Cake," and hosts garden tea parties. When the noise from Grandpa's bookshelf-building proves too much, Grandma indicates that she's "thirsty for a cup of quiet," and child and grandmother venture outside and into a garden. There, Grandma tasks the narrator to fill an invisible cup with nature's sounds--a bee's buzz, a lizard's steps, and more--each addition growing the fanciful mug's size. When a summer storm approaches, forcing them back inside and toward Grandpa's hammering, Grandma takes a big refreshing gulp from the cup: "Nature's noise is peaceful, and I love that." Vibrant mixed-media illustrations from Johnson (Stand Up!) add visual verve to a tranquil intergenerational story from Grimes (A Walk in the Woods), whose warmth and sensory detail celebrates family, creativity, and mindful noticing. Ages 3--6. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--Readers of all ages will appreciate this story of family customs and connections. The book explores summer days spent at a grandma's house, engaging in activies from from baking to imaginative play. Readers will delight in the multitude of fun activities and special moments shared between grandmother and granddaughter. When things get a little noisy inside, they travel outdoors, where the girl in the story imagines a variety of pleasant nature sounds to fill an imaginary cup. Vibrant illustrations cover the pages with a mix of media that includes watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and digital forms. Readers will immerse themselves into the story, and whether it inspires them to take part in the fun at their own homes or just enjoy the display of activities in the book, they will come away with an appreciation of time spent with family. VERDICT A heartfelt story of time shared with family, this story will encourage imagination and exploration with elementary and primary aged children.--Tara Rollins
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A grandmother and grandchild find refuge in their garden when the noise of life gets to be too much. Every June, the lively young narrator spends two weeks at Grandma's house. Together, they play make-believe, bake, have tea parties with dolls, and act out stories. But today, Grandma covers her ears to block the sound of Grandpa's hammering and the music he plays while working. Announcing that she's "thirsty for / a cup of quiet," Grandma first seeks it on the front porch, but the street noise is overwhelming. So they flee to the backyard garden, where Grandma sits perfectly still. She instructs the child to walk around and fill an imaginary cup with sounds. The child collects the buzz of a bee, the whistle of wind, the hum of a hummingbird's wings, and raindrops on the roof; the last sends the two running back inside. Before Grandma can get irritated by the cacophony, the child hands her the cup of soothing sounds, which Grandma finds "very refreshing." Grimes' simple, lyrical text depicts a sweet, relationship-based mini-adventure with a victory both adults and children will appreciate. Johnson's whimsical illustrations, which make use of engaging compositions in pastel colors, are as poetic as Grimes' verse. Both characters present Black; the child is darker-skinned with braids and beads, while Grandma has a short, gray Afro. Playful, soothing, and beautiful.(Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
