Watercress

by Andrea Wang (Author) Jason Chin (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage.

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.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
Wang's moving poetry paired with--and precisely laid out on--Chin's masterfully detailed illustrations capture both an authentic Midwestern American landscape and a very Chinese American family, together infusing a single event with multiple layers laden with emotion, memory, and significance. Understated, deep, and heart-rending--bring tissues.

Review quotes



Andrea Wang
As a child, Andrea Wang made dumplings and took baths with orange peels to prepare for Chinese New Year. When not traveling, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two children, and a dog named Mochi. This is her first picture book. Alina Chau received her MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles. She spent over a decade working in the animation industry. She currently develops her own illustration projects and lives in California.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823446247
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Neal Porter Books
Publication date
March 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039250 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
Library of Congress categories
Family life
Ohio
Chinese Americans
Harvesting
Watercress
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Selection
Caldecott Medal
Winner 2022
Newbery Medal
Honor Book 2022
Asian/Pacific American Award
Winner 2022
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Selection 2022

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!