I'll Go and Come Back - Hardcover

LaRocca, Rajani

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1536207179 ISBN 13: 9781536207170

Publisher: Candlewick, 2022

Synopsis

A tender, beautifully illustrated story about a girl in America and her grandmother in India, whose love stretches between languages and cultures—and across the world.

When Jyoti visits her grandmother halfway around the world, she is overwhelmed by the differences between India and home. At first she feels lonely and out of place, but soon, despite a language barrier, she and Sita Pati are able to understand each other. They form a bond—looking at books together, making designs with colored sand, shopping at the market, playing games, eating chapatis, and sipping warm milk with saffron to bring sweet dreams. When it’s time to part, Jyoti doesn’t want to leave, but then she remembers that in Tamil, people don’t say goodbye, they say “I’ll go and come back.” Sure enough, the two reunite the next summer when Pati visits Jyoti in America, and it’s Jyoti’s turn to make her grandmother feel welcome. Can they create some special memories that will last until the next time they see each other?

About this title

About the Author

Rajani LaRocca is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor Book Red, White, and Whole. She was born in Bangalore, India, and immigrated to the US when she was a baby. She grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, graduated from Harvard with both a BA and an MD, and has worked as a primary care physician since 2001. Rajani LaRocca lives in eastern Massachusetts with her family.


Sara Palacios is the illustrator of many picture books, including My Day with the Panye, written by Tami Charles. She divides her time between San Francisco and Mexico City.

Reviews

K-Gr 2—This lovely tribute to the child/grandparent relationship also gently honors cultural differences. A visit to India brings Jyoti to a house jumping with relatives and to a crowded city full of unfamiliar sights and sounds. Her kindly grandmother, Sita Pati, keeps her busy making designs in the courtyard with brightly colored sand, shopping in the outdoor market, playing games, and cooking chapatis. At night they sip warm milk with saffron to bring sweet dreams. The following summer, Sita Pati comes to America, where she is not used to the silence and looks lonely. Jyoti reciprocates with chalk drawing on the sidewalk, supermarket shopping, Chutes and Ladders, and making quesadillas. They drink hot cocoa for sweet dreams. Jyoti and Sita Pati say "I will go and come back" when their visits end, never "Good-bye," in a satisfying story told with great economy. Gouache and acrylic illustrations with the grainy effect of woodcuts and wonderful attention to textile patterns, exude the mutual delight between grandparent and grandchild. VERDICT A tender sharing of culture and empathy that bridges generations, and an essential purchase—Jan Aldrich Solow

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1536207179
• ISBN 13: 9781536207170
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Palacios Sara
• Number of pages: 40