ZUNI AND THE MEMORY JAR

A young girl of South Asian descent and her family collect treasured memories.

When Mama comes home with an empty jar, Zuni imagines filling it with cookies. But this jar is meant for something even more special: memories. When Zuni’s brother Adam scores a winning goal for his soccer team, he puts a photo of the triumphant moment in the jar. Then Zuni’s sister Sophie gives a well-received piano performance, and their grandmother’s quilt wins a blue ribbon in a local competition. Mementos of these events go in the jar alongside the ribbon Mama earns for completing a Turkey Trot race. But what about Zuni? Throughout the year, her family reassures her that she, too, will soon earn achievements worthy of the jar. It isn’t until they review their memories that the family opens the jar and realizes that, unbeknownst to them, Zuni has been making her own memories from bits and pieces of life her elders were too busy to notice, value, or understand. Zuni’s story is expertly paced, elegantly written, and perfectly plotted. The book’s clever twist is supported by subtle clues in the upbeat cartoon illustrations. Perhaps the most impressive part of the story is its message—while it’s important to mark big achievements, Saeed encourages children and their families to see everyday moments as extraordinary, too.

A superbly original picture book that celebrates memories big and small.