Watercress
Illustrated by Jason Chin
Published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
ISBN-13: 978-0-8234-4624-7
March 30, 2021 (Available now wherever books are sold.)
Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot something growing in a ditch by the side of the road…watercress! With an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail-covered plant as they can.
At first, it’s embarrassing. Why can’t her family get food at the grocery store? But when her mother shares the story of her family’s life in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress in this tender story inspired by the author’s childhood memories and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Jason Chin.
Caldecott Medal Winner
Newbery Honor Award
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award 2022
New England Book Award Winner
2021 Boston Globe – Horn Book Honor Book
I’m Your Neighbor New Generation Award
Reading the West Award for Picture Books
2022 Ohioana Book Award for Juvenile Literature
2022 Floyd’s Pick Honor Book
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
SCBWI 2022 Crystal Kite Award, Southwest Division
2021 Cybils Award
⭐️ Kirkus Starred Review
⭐️ School Library Journal Starred Review
⭐️ Publishers Weekly Starred Review
⭐️ Horn Book Starred Review
⭐️ The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Starred Review
⭐️ BookPage Starred Review
⭐️ Shelf Awareness Starred Review
Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
BookPage Best Picture Books of 2021
BookRiot 20 Must Read Picture Books from 2021
Boston Globe Best Children’s Books of 2021
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Books of 2021
Chicago Public Library Best Picture Books of 2021
Horn Book Fanfare 2021 Booklist
Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2021
New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2021
New York Times 25 Best Children’s Books of 2021
Publishers Lunch Best of the Best Children’s Books of 2021
Publishers Weekly Best Books 2021
School Library Journal Best Picture Books 2021
Shelf Awareness Best Children’s Books of 2021
Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Books of 2021
Washington Post Best Children’s Books of 2021
100 Scope Notes Top 20 Books of 2021
Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year 2022 Edition
“Understated, deep, and heart-rending–bring tissues.”
~ Kirkus, starred review
“A powerful story sure to awaken empathy and curiosity: Who else left behind a homeland, and at what cost?”
~School Library Journal, starred review
“An adept gem of a picture book, encompassing both universal intergenerational embarrassment and a specific diasporic shift in cultural perception.”
~Publishers Weekly, starred review
“This quietly affecting book encourages honesty, communication, and sharing of family history.”
~ The Horn Book, starred review
“A deft exploration of the information and emotion gap between parents, especially immigrant parents, and children, and it may give space for kids to learn more about their own family history and customs.”
~The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“Watercress is a delicate and deeply felt exploration of memory, trauma and family.”
~ BookPage, starred review
“Sincere and subtly inspiring, Watercress is transformative.”
~Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Andrea Wang’s heartfelt and nuanced intergenerational story comes to life through Jason Chin’s brilliant watercolors, making Watercress a feast for the senses. But be warned: Come prepared with tissues.”
~ Minh Lê, for NPR
Download the Holiday House Educator’s Guide!
Teacher Resources by Carolee Dean, M.S., CCC-SLP, CALT and author of Story Frames for Teaching Literacy: Enhancing Student Learning Through the Power of Storytelling:
