JUST LIKE GRANDMA

More than anything, Becca wants to be just like Grandma.

Sitting on the front steps beading buckskin moccasins, dancing barefoot like a beautiful butterfly, painting gorgeous sunrises in the studio, or dancing at the weekend powwow—as Becca watches and learns from her grandmother, she longs to follow in her footsteps. Meanwhile, Grandma also watches and learns from her grandchild as she practices to be on the basketball team. Grandma, too, would like to be like Becca. Readers learn that in fact with so much in common, both Grandma and Becca are indeed very much like each other. Reinforcing this intergenerational bond is a caring grandfather who feeds and nourishes the family, all the while remaining in the background, allowing grandmother and child to take center stage. Illustrator Flett’s (Cree-Métis) signature, spare style pairs well with author Rogers’ (Wichita) simple, repetitive text. Readers will infer from the activities mentioned and the visual cues in the illustrations that the family is Native American. Though no specific nation is mentioned, the use of the Wichita word to:kic (a kind of meat dish) may imply the family is from the same nation as Rogers. All characters depicted have brown skin and straight black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet celebration of family, intergenerational bonds, and traditions.