When Lola Visits - by Michelle Sterling (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Four starred reviews! In an evocative picture book brimming with the scents, tastes, and traditions that define a young girl's summer with her grandmother, debut author Michelle Sterling and illustrator Aaron Asis come together to celebrate the gentle bonds of familial love that span oceans and generations.

For one young girl, summer is the season of no school, of days spent at the pool, and of picking golden limes off the trees. But summer doesn't start until her lola--her grandmother from the Philippines--comes for her annual visit.

Summer is special. For her lola fills the house with the aroma of mango jam, funny stories of baking mishaps, and her quiet sweet singing in Tagalog. And in turn, her granddaughter brings Lola to the beach, to view fireworks at the park, and to catch fish at their lake.

When Lola visits, the whole family gathers to cook and eat and share in their happiness of another season spent together. Yet as summer transitions to fall, her lola must return home--but not without a surprise for her granddaughter to preserve their special summer a bit longer.

* BookPage Best Books of the Year * The New York Public Library's Best Books of the Year * Kirkus Best Books of the Year * An ALSC Notable Children's Book of the Year * A CCBC Choices Pick of the Year * Banks Street Best Children's Books of the Year *

Review Quotes

"Debut author Sterling blends Filipino traditions with popular U.S. summer activities, creating a tender story celebrating culture shared between generations." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A glorious celebration of Filipino American experience. This book--much like Lola--is something to visit over and over again." -- Booklist (starred review)

"This is a beautiful, tender expression of family and love that spans generations and great distances. The illustrations add so much life and context to the words. An extraordinary expression of Filipino culture and intergenerational familial bonds." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Beautiful, sweet and warm. Like all the best childhood memories of loved ones, When Lola Visits feels familiar, friendly and faded to perfection." -- BookPage (starred review)

"Will make readers long for the scents and tastes the narrator describes, and the warmth and happiness of summertime. With a smooth flow of new vocabulary and a universal nod to the meaning of family, this will be a storytime favorite." -- School Library Journal