Watercress

Watercress by Andrea Wang with pictures by Jason Chin

This story is a beautiful complete package. The pictures are extraordinary and in combination with the words this story will tug at your heart.  Most of us can remember a time when our parents did something to embarrass us only to grow up and that memory then becomes a treasure.  In this story a young girl’s family stops their car as they are traveling and they all get out to cut and gather watercress. The young girl feels embarrassed and wonders why her family can’t just go to the grocery store to get vegetables.  She hopes that as the cars pass that there is no one she knows and no one recognizes her. When the family gets home and prepares the watercress for dinner her mother shares a heart breaking childhood memory that makes this young girl have a complete change of heart and treasure the entire watercress adventure.

Reviewed by Michelle Zimostrad, Butman-Fish Library