WORDS BETWEEN US

A child of Vietnamese descent helps his grandmother get acclimated to their home in the United States.

Felix meets his grandma for the first time when she arrives from Vietnam to live with his family. The two quickly bond over pizza, music, and gardening. One day, Grandma gets lost at a city festival and, because she doesn’t speak English, can’t ask for help. Felix finds her and, later, decides to teach her English. He makes flashcards for different words, helping his grandma learn new words until “words became phrases. And phrases became sentences.” With a stronger command of English, Grandma begins to make new friends and navigates their world with greater ease. There is a beautiful sense of symmetry in Felix and his grandma’s relationship as they connect over their interests and lovingly support each other through challenges. Ho’s digital illustrations are simply stunning. Vivid colors and sunlight permeate each scene, creating a sense of warmth and joy that thrums through the book even during difficult moments. Eye-catching visual details, from the various people in the crowd scenes to the flashcards in the endpapers, add depth and personality to the world they live in. The tale wraps up with a recipe for Vietnamese pizza, just like the one that Grandma makes.

A heartwarming tale of intergenerational bonding.