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michaelion's review
reflective
fast-paced
2.75
Great art. Beautiful art.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Racism, and Child death
dollhousebooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
blackcatkai's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
CW: child death mentioned, famine, bullying, classism
this is short, sad, & beautiful. a strong message of memory, loss, & family. the art is spectacular and the story, though small, is so so strong. all the stars.
this is short, sad, & beautiful. a strong message of memory, loss, & family. the art is spectacular and the story, though small, is so so strong. all the stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Death, Bullying, and Child death
kindredbooks's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I received a copy of Watercress from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from the Publisher:
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.
Review:
As children of immigrant parents, it is sometimes hard for us to understand where our parents come from and the history that they bring with them to a new country. I felt that feeling of disconnection between generations very keenly in this picture book. There are such real and heartfelt moments in the story - both from the simple text to the beautiful illustrations that serve to emphasize particular moments. Moments that really resonated with me - feeling embarrassed or even ashamed of certain public behaviours that may be displayed and also the moment of realization and clarity that comes with understanding. Chinese families in particular are not in the habit of sharing feelings - and I have known what it’s like to grow up being told that I was too young to hear certain stories - stories that may have helped me understand my parents, my grandparents, and my family better. Stories that would have made me more compassionate towards my family. In this story, Andrea Wang presents us with the more hopeful scenario that can occur if parents were to be more open with their children - perhaps the family would be able to better understand one another. While I do believe that children should be protected, I also believe that keeping them ignorant will benefit no one. Especially in this day and age when children are exposed to more faster, perhaps it is better for important, sensitive matters to be brought up by their parents and families rather than from unreliable sources. I truly loved this picture book - every raw and open emotion that plays out between the family members that serves as a reminder that we can all do more to better understand our families and our histories.
Synopsis from the Publisher:
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.
Review:
As children of immigrant parents, it is sometimes hard for us to understand where our parents come from and the history that they bring with them to a new country. I felt that feeling of disconnection between generations very keenly in this picture book. There are such real and heartfelt moments in the story - both from the simple text to the beautiful illustrations that serve to emphasize particular moments. Moments that really resonated with me - feeling embarrassed or even ashamed of certain public behaviours that may be displayed and also the moment of realization and clarity that comes with understanding. Chinese families in particular are not in the habit of sharing feelings - and I have known what it’s like to grow up being told that I was too young to hear certain stories - stories that may have helped me understand my parents, my grandparents, and my family better. Stories that would have made me more compassionate towards my family. In this story, Andrea Wang presents us with the more hopeful scenario that can occur if parents were to be more open with their children - perhaps the family would be able to better understand one another. While I do believe that children should be protected, I also believe that keeping them ignorant will benefit no one. Especially in this day and age when children are exposed to more faster, perhaps it is better for important, sensitive matters to be brought up by their parents and families rather than from unreliable sources. I truly loved this picture book - every raw and open emotion that plays out between the family members that serves as a reminder that we can all do more to better understand our families and our histories.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
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