Watercress | 
“But even though I was ashamed, I knew that my mother's story was true. It was the story of my family, the story of my people. And it was a story of survival.“
“But even though I was ashamed, I knew that my mother's story was true. It was the story of my family, the story of my people. And it was a story of survival.“
This book could be used at any age to help children understand that differences in cultures and tradition can be completely different, but are unique and should be celebrated. In a young elementary classroom, I could see this book being read aloud and then having children write and share some traditions that their family has.
pickAward winning- A young Chinese American girl is embarrassed when her parents stop to gather watercress from a ditch. She doesn't understand why they can't just buy food like other families. However, her mother shares a story about the hardships her family faced in China, where watercress was a symbol of survival and resilience. The girl learns to appreciate her heritage and the sacrifices her parents made for their family.
“The water in the ditch is cold. It stings my ankles and the mud squelches up between my toes”
In Watercress by Andrea Wang, a young girl navigates her feelings of pride and embarrassment as her family forages for the traditional Chinese delicacy, watercress. With beautiful watercolor illustrations by Jason Chin, this Caldecott Medal-winning book explores themes of cultural identity, family connection, and the power of food to bridge generations. A touching tale of self-discovery that resonates with readers of all ages.
pickWatercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin, features rich watercolor artwork that beautifully captures the emotions and landscape. The story explores family, cultural identity, and the significance of food, highlighting a young girl's feelings about her heritage. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2023, this book stands out for its poignant themes and stunning illustrations, making it a significant contribution to children's literature.
pickThis book describes a family that stop and finds watercress. The prepare this meal and the main character does not want to eat it.
The main character in this story is driving with her parents. They reach these cornfields and find watercress.
The tops of the cornstalks make lines that zigzag across the horizon.
This book is very descriptive in its language which helps create great imagery and feeling that is greater than the pictures.
pickThis book was published in 2021 and received the awards of the Caldecott Medal, The Newberry Honor, and The Picture Book Award Winner for the Asian-American Assoc. This book is an adventurous book that starts in Ohio but takes an entire new journey through food and culture to relate to Asian-American culture.
This book is very descriptive in its language which helps create great imagery and feeling that is greater than the pictures.
pickThis book was published in 2021 and received the awards of the Caldecott Medal, The Newberry Honor, and The Picture Book Award Winner for the Asian-American Assoc. This book is an adventurous book that starts in Ohio but takes an entire new journey through food and culture to relate to Asian-American culture.
pickWatercress brings their family together after learning about the mother‘s hard and tragic past. This books reminds children to not be ashamed about their past but to embrace it.
The little girl wants to be like everyone else like buying food from a grocery store during dinner.
“Finally, we load everything, the soggy bag, my sopping shirt, are sodden selves, into the car and head home”
The words used in this book are very descriptive. The language used as well as the illustrations create lots of meaning and understanding and it makes this book special.
pickThis book was published in 2021. Caldecott Award Winner. Newberry Honor. The Picture Book Award Winner for the Asian-American Assoc. This book is an adventurous book that starts in Ohio but takes an entire new journey through food and culture to relate to Asian-American culture.
The book is very descriptive in its language which helps create great imagery and feeling that is greater than pictures.
pickWatercress by Andrea Wang. This book was published in 2021. Caldecott Award Winner. Newberry Honor. The Picture Book Award Winner for the Asian-American Assoc. This book is an adventurous book that starts in Ohio but takes an entire new journey through food and culture to relate to Asian-American culture.
“The water in the ditch is cold. It stings my ankles and the mud squelches up between my toes”
This book is a positive representation of a child‘s feelings toward a new and uncomfortable experience. It shows the importance of culture and family heritage which leads to a change of heart for the main character.
pickWatercress by Andrea Wang, 2021. Caldecott Award Winning Book. This book is a wonderful representation of culture and family history. It focuses on a daughter's negative attitude towards picking watercress which is a strong reminder of the memories of her parents and their past life. It uses powerful language and visual imagery to describe the feelings of the characters in the book.
“I take a bite of the watercress and it bites me back with its spicy, peppery taste. It is delicate and slightly bitter, like mom's memories of home. Together we eat it all and make a new memory of watercress.“
The moment her mom showed her a picture of her grandparents who immigrated to the US from China. That was the moment she knew that her mother was trying to keep her families tradition alive of eating Watercress and picking it off the side of the road after all those years of eating it in China.
pickWatercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin. This book was awarded the 2022 Caldecott Honor Award. This book is family friendly. It has a lot of cultural background that has a deep connection to the authors life growing up. This story is eye-opening to many readers who may not be familiar with families who immigrated here from other countries and are trying to hold on to their family traditions but also fit into the American society.
Watercress can be used in the classroom by helping make connections with students and their culture. It also could encourage students to share stories with and about their families.
pickWatercress is a picture book for children written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason chin. Watercress was published in 2021 and won the Caldecott in 2022. It was a very moving story that touched on the power of sharing memories with family. The book was written very beautifully as well as the illustrations. The illustrations showed exactly how the main character felt. It was a picture book that students could relate to in the classroom.
This is a powerful story to show students to not be embarrassed about what other people think of their family traditions. It is also impactful to the students I work with now because it does not matter how much their food costs (in the story the girl was embarrassed that the watercress was free).
pickWatercress, 2021. A Caldecott Medal Winning Book. This is a powerful story about a mother sharing her heritage with her family and how it impacts her daughter. At first, her daughter is embarrassed about picking watercress off the side of the road. But once the mother shares how important watercress was in her past the daughter was upset with herself for being embarrassed.
