Just Like Grandma

by Kim Rogers, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Overview

In this lyrical picture book by Kim Rogers (Wichita), with illustrations by Boston Globe-Horn Book Honoree Julie Flett (Cree-Métis), Becca watches her grandma create, play, and dance—and she knows that she wants to be just like Grandma.

Becca loves spending time with Grandma. Every time Becca says, “Let me try,” Grandma shows her how to make something beautiful.

Whether they are beading moccasins, dancing like the most beautiful butterflies, or practicing basketball together, Becca knows that, more than anything, she wants to be just like Grandma.

And as the two share their favorite activities, Becca discovers something surprising about Grandma. 

Features an author’s note and glossary. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063049246
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	124,223
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kim Rogers is the author of Just Like Grandma, illustrated by Julie Flett. She is an enrolled member of Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and is a member of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Much of her writing highlights her Wichita heritage. Kim lives with her family on her tribe’s ancestral homelands in Oklahoma. 

Julie Flett is a Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist who has received numerous awards for her books, including two Governor General’s Awards, the American Indian Library Association Award, and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Her books have been selected for Best of the Year lists by media outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, the Boston Globe, School Library Journal, the Globe and Mail, and Kirkus Reviews.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/21/2022

“In traditional Native American families, grandparents and Elders have always played a significant role in raising and educating children,” writes Rogers (an enrolled member of Wichita and Affiliated Tribes) in this work’s author’s note, and her picture book debut tenderly centers one such relationship. “More than anything,” young Becca wants to be “just like Grandma,” a refrain that follows the days as Becca watches Grandma beading a pair of buckskin moccasins, painting a glorious sunrise, and dancing Fancy Shawl at the weekend powwow. Each spread sees Becca learning from her elder before the two engage, together, in the activity, leading up to a family meal: “Together they flutter like the most beautiful butterflies/ Grandpa has ever seen,/ until the sun dips below the tree line/ and he calls them in for fried chicken.” The formula flips when Grandma asks Becca to teach her to play basketball, and their practice sessions help Becca at team tryouts, and provide a lens for grandchild and grandparent to appreciate their shared story. Textured, earth-toned art from Cree-Métis illustrator Flett (Still This Love Goes On) foregrounds the two figures, who cue as Wichita, while the text emphasizes a love of family and sense of tradition that anchor this subtly told story’s world. An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Illustrator Flett’s (Cree-Métis) signature, spare style pairs well with author Rogers’ (Wichita) simple, repetitive text... A sweet celebration of family, intergenerational bonds, and traditions." — Kirkus Reviews

"A lovely addition to the increasingly diverse array of books focusing on the handing down of precious cultural knowledge through the give and take of intergenerational relationships." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Captivating...This book comes highly recommended for its heartwarming portrayal of intergenerational relationships and cultural heritage." — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 12/15/2023

PreS-Gr 2—In this captivating work from Rogers, (of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes) and brought to life in the illustrations of Flett (of Cree-Métis descent), Becca closely observes her grandma, aspiring to emulate her. Throughout the narrative, Grandma serves as a guiding force, encouraging Becca to explore new activities such as beading, dancing, painting, and more. In the background, Grandpa expresses his affection through the universal language of food. As the story unfolds, a poignant full-circle moment occurs when Grandma expresses her desire to be just like Becca. The book culminates with a profound realization of the reciprocal nature of the relationship, underscored by a publisher's note emphasizing the importance of Elders. An author's note sheds light on her grandma's influence and the cultural significance of beadwork, both in traditional and contemporary contexts. VERDICT This book comes highly recommended for its heartwarming portrayal of intergenerational relationships and cultural heritage.—Amy Zembroski

School Library Journal

2022-11-16
More than anything, Becca wants to be just like Grandma.

Sitting on the front steps beading buckskin moccasins, dancing barefoot like a beautiful butterfly, painting gorgeous sunrises in the studio, or dancing at the weekend powwow—as Becca watches and learns from her grandmother, she longs to follow in her footsteps. Meanwhile, Grandma also watches and learns from her grandchild as she practices to be on the basketball team. Grandma, too, would like to be like Becca. Readers learn that in fact with so much in common, both Grandma and Becca are indeed very much like each other. Reinforcing this intergenerational bond is a caring grandfather who feeds and nourishes the family, all the while remaining in the background, allowing grandmother and child to take center stage. Illustrator Flett’s (Cree-Métis) signature, spare style pairs well with author Rogers’ (Wichita) simple, repetitive text. Readers will infer from the activities mentioned and the visual cues in the illustrations that the family is Native American. Though no specific nation is mentioned, the use of the Wichita word to:kic (a kind of meat dish) may imply the family is from the same nation as Rogers. All characters depicted have brown skin and straight black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet celebration of family, intergenerational bonds, and traditions. (publisher’s note, author’s note, a note on beadwork, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews