Watercress
It’s the culmination of our 2022 Caldecott Breakdown series as we dive into this year’s Caldecott Medal Winner, WATERCRESS!
If you missed our previous discussions, you can still catch them at the links below.
In today’s video, we are honored to share with you the stunning picture book WATERCRESS, written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin.
Here’s a brief description:
“Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can.
At first, she’s embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.
Andrea Wang tells a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage, illustrated by award-winning author and artist Jason Chin, working in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An author’s note in the back shares Andrea’s childhood experience with her parents.”
Click the video below and listen in as Julie Hedlund shares some behind-the-scenes insight from Jason Chin about this remarkable story. READ MORE
