by Saumiya Balasubramaniam; illustrated by Qin Leng
About the Book
When Maya’s grandma makes a surprise visit from thousands of miles away, Maya is delighted. But her excitement doesn’t last long. When Grandma picks her up from school, she wears fancy clothes and talks too loudly. Grandma’s morning prayer bells wake Maya up, and she cooks with ingredients Maya doesn’t usually eat. Plus, Maya thinks cupcakes taste better than Grandma’s homemade sweets.
Maya and Grandma try to compromise, and on a special trip to the island Grandma even wears an “all-American” baseball cap. But when Maya rushes off to find the carousel, she loses sight of her mother, father and grandmother. She is alone in a sea of people … until she spots something bobbing above the crowd, and right away she knows how to find her way.
Saumiya Balasubramaniam’s story is an insightful and endearing portrayal of a grandparent-grandchild relationship that is evolving and deeply loving, as Maya and Grandma navigate cross-cultural contexts and generational differences. Qin Leng’s sweet, evocative illustrations complement the story and illuminate Grandma and Maya’s growing closeness.
Type of text: Realistic fiction; narrative; picturebook
About the Creators
Saumiya Balasubramaniam is a Southeast-Asian author born in Mumbai, now living in Toronto. She writes about the immigrant experience, also works as a computer scientist/software analyst, and loves a strong cup of chai.
Qin Leng (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian illustrator and author of children books. She was born in Shanghai, lived in France, then moved to Canada. She speaks English and French. She has had adecades-long career creating content for kids television, is a parent, the daughter of an artist, and a twin.
Note: These descriptions include self-identifiers provided directly by the author, illustrator, and/or publisher via email; they also contain information made publicly available (e.g., through professional websites, interviews, etc)
