Watercress
AuthorAndrea Wang
IllustratorsJason Chin
Cover artistChin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenrePicture book
PublisherNeal Porter Books
Publication date
March 30, 2021
Media typeHardcover
Pages32
ISBN9780823446247

Watercress is a children's book written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin, and published on March 30, 2021 by Neal Porter Books.

In 2022, the book won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Picture Book, Caldecott Medal, and Newbery Honor.[1][2][3]

Synopsis

A young girl is in the car with her brother and parents when they come across wild watercress growing on the side of the road. Her parents excitedly pull over and instruct the children to help them gather the watercress. The girl feels embarrassed to be seen by passing cars and disgusted by the mud and snails that are on the plants. The watercress is prepared for dinner that night, but the girl initially refuses to eat it because she is ashamed of their "dinner from a ditch". Her mother brings out a picture from her childhood and, for the first time, talks about the famine that her family suffered. Feeling guilty, the girl takes a bite of the watercress. She discovers that she likes the taste and reflects on the new memory she and her family have created.

Reception

Watercress is a Junior Library Guild book.[4] It was met with critical acclaim, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,[5] Publishers Weekly,[6] School Library Journal,[7] and Shelf Awareness.[8]

Kirkus Reviews called the book "[u]nderstated, deep, and heart-rending."[5] Writing for School Library Journal, Elissa Cooper called Watercress "[a] powerful story sure to awaken empathy and curiosity."[7] Publishers Weekly said it was "[a]n adept gem of a picture book, encompassing both universal intergenerational embarrassment and a specific diasporic shift in cultural perception."[6]

Watercress was named one of the best children's books of 2021 by BookPage,[9] The Boston Globe,[10] Chicago Public Library,[11] The Horn Book,[12] Kirkus Reviews,[5] The New York Public Library,[13] The New York Times,[14] Publishers Weekly,[15] School Library Journal,[16] Shelf Awareness,[17] The Wall Street Journal,[18] and The Washington Post.[19] Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature also included it in their list of the year's best multicultural children's books.[20] In 2022, Weston Woods Studios released an animated film based on the book, narrated by Sunny Lu.

Accolades

Year Award/Honor Result Ref.
2021 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Picture Book Honor [21]
New England Book Award for Children's Winner [22][23]
2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Picture Book Winner [1]
Caldecott Medal Winner [1][2][3]
Newbery Medal Honor [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Morales, Macey (2022-01-24). "American Library Association announces 2022 Youth Media Award winners". American Library Association. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  2. 1 2 Schaub, Michael (2022-01-24). "ALA Announces Youth Media Award Winners for 2022". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  3. 1 2 Sullivan, Meghan Collins (2022-01-24). "'The Last Cuentista' and 'Watercress' win top children's book awards". NPR. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  4. ↑ "Watercress by Andrea Wang". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  5. 1 2 3 "Watercress". Kirkus Reviews. 2020-12-25. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  6. 1 2 "Children's Book Review: Watercress by Andrea Wang, illus. by Jason Chin. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4624-7". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  7. 1 2 Cooper, Elissa (2021-02-01). "Watercress". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  8. ↑ Forbus, Jen (2021-04-09). "Watercress". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  9. ↑ "Best Picture Books of 2021". BookPage. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  10. ↑ Koenig, Laura. "The Best Books of 2021". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  11. ↑ "Best Picture Books of 2021". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  12. ↑ "Fanfare 2021 Annotations". The Horn Book. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  13. ↑ "Best Books for Kids 2021". The New York Public Library. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  14. ↑ "The 25 Best Children's Books of 2021". The New York Times. 2021-12-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  15. ↑ "Best Books 2021: Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  16. ↑ Saarinen, Tamara; Agudelo, Jessica; Fakih, Kimberly; Paz, Selenia; Qadir-Jafar, Noureen (2021-11-21). "Best Picture Books 2021 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  17. ↑ "Shelf Awareness's Best Children's and Teen Books of 2021". Shelf Awareness. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  18. ↑ Gurdon, Meghan Cox (2021-12-10). "The Best Books of 2021: Children's Books". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  19. ↑ "Best Children's Books of 2021". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  20. ↑ "Best Books 2021". Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  21. ↑ "Presenting the 2021 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners". The Horn Book. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  22. ↑ "New England Book Awards". New England Independent Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  23. ↑ Fodi, Lee Edward (2021-11-03). "Awards: NEIBA Winners". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-01-31.


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