Grandma's Roof Garden - by Tang Wei (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Granny may be old, but she's certainly not feeble - or idle! She's built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building. She collects thrown-away produce and feeds it to her chicks and geese - or composts it for the garden. She waters, weeds, and teaches the neighborhood children to care for the garden like she does: with love, patience, and pride. And come harvest time, Granny gathers her fresh produce and cooks up delicious meals for her friends and family...or gives them their own bags of yummy treasures so they can cook on their own!"--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

Granny may be old, but she's certainly not feeble - or idle! She's built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building.

She collects thrown-away produce to feed her animals or make compost for the garden.

She waters, weeds, and shows the neighborhood kids how to care for her plants: with love, patience, and pride.

Come harvest time, Granny gathers her fresh produce and cooks up a delicious feast for her friends and family. She even sends them off with extra bags of goodies so people can make their own yummy, healthy meals at home!

Debut author/illustrator Tang Wei creates a love letter to an indomitable grandma of the city, inspired by her own childhood and a beloved relative. Combining a fun, rhythmic text reminiscent of Chinese folk nursery rhymes with earthy, vibrant colored pencil drawings, Wei shows how one person can create a beautiful green space in the heart of the concrete jungle and bring together an entire community.

P R A I S E

★ "This heartwarming tale is one to share and treasure."
-BookPage (starred)

★ "In this exquisite debut inspired by her childhood and a precious elder, Wei lovingly cultivates a picture book that captures Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, with expressionistic folk art and vibrant, textured colored-pencil illustrations... Readers with a green thumb will admire Granny's passion for giving back to the community while living happily and healthily in green spaces."
-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred)

Review Quotes

"This charming book for younger readers pays homage to a grandmother and her ingenuity in using the roof of her apartment block to grow her own produce... Dynamic pencil drawings fill every inch of the page with color and life, and a partially rhyming, always playful text oozes with wonder at one person's ability to transform an often-forgotten space into food for the good of herself, the environment, and her whole community." - Words Without Borders

"Wei's whimsical vegetable-studded spreads complement rhythmic text in this buoyant, character-driven debut." - Publishers Weekly

[STAR] "In this exquisite debut inspired by her childhood and a precious elder, Wei lovingly cultivates a picture book that captures Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, with expressionistic folk art and vibrant, textured colored-pencil illustrations... Readers with a green thumb will admire Granny's passion for giving back to the community while living happily and healthily in green spaces." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred)

[STAR] "This heartwarming tale is one to share and treasure." - Bookpage (starred)

"Bursting with vibrant color and detail... the poetic translation from the Chinese is spiced with flavorful language and occasional rhyme... readers will relish this joy-filled soul who sows with enthusiasm and reaps a bounty of love to share with all." - Booklist

"Dynamic.. love sprouts from the pages of this charming picture book." - Foreword Reviews

"Inspiring and delicious." - Kirkus

About the Author

Tang Wei is a rising young Chinese illustrator from Sichuan province. She is graduate of Sichuan Xihua University's animation program and was a 2021 Finalist in the Shanghai International Children's Book Fair's Golden Pinwheel Illustration Awards. Grandma's Roof Garden is her debut work as an author/illustrator and a true book of her heart.

Kelly Zhang is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, bilingual author, and literary translator based in Ottawa, Canada. She writes heartfelt stories inspired by her heritage culture and informed by her lived experiences. Kelly also translates contemporary children's fiction originating from mainland China and the Chinese diaspora, and always seeks to elevate the voices of young emerging writers and women creatives. Her debut picture book, Take Me to Laolao, is forthcoming with Quill Tree/HC in Winter 2024. She translates for the New York Times for Kids (China edition) and regularly contributes to the WorldKidLit Blog. Connect with Kelly on Twitter (@KellyZhang_YL), or visit her website: www.kellyzhangyl.com.