Jacinta Liu (text) and Freda Chiu (illustrator), Grandmother from the East Grandmother from the West, Lothian Children’s Books, March 2025, 32 pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734421791
Having two grandmothers – one from the East and one from the West – is a not uncommon blessing. In this case, they not only look different and cook different food, but have totally different histories. The East grandma fought in WWII and stood up for injustice while the West grandma is a natural healer. The former is the little girl’s ‘greatest teacher’ while the latter is her ‘biggest fan’, perhaps a somewhat unfair division as both grandmas no doubt have both these qualities. Though both have big hearts, it is the East grandma who provides lessons in how to be brave, generous and kind; again, hard to assume this would not also apply to the West grandma. This grandma was ‘kissed by the light of the Cancer moon’. As this is a picture book for very young children who may not have heard of the Zodiac star signs and could misinterpret the reference to cancer, careful explanation would be needed.
The illustrations and backgrounds depict the East grandma in browns, yellows and reds, while for the grandma from the West the colours are mostly blues and pinks with occasional red.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas
