![]() They look to be a mix of watercolor and collage, full of the green leaves of Luis’s garden, naive, and easy to interpret with many fascinating details. The child also describes Luis’s art (‘Dad says Luis is as good as Henri Rousseau and he is a really famous painter’) and I assumed that the beautiful illustrations were, in fact, Luis’s drawings that he and the child work on together in the book. ![]() The lack of a name or gender for the child will give the book even more resonance for all readers. This book was lovely, absorbing, and wistful without being cloying. ★ “The text is lyrical and lengthy I would almost describe this as an illustrated short story. The dense foliage that twines through the art mirrors the rich thicket of the grandchild’s thoughts and the grandfather’s knowledge as the two spend time together, sharing Luis’s idiosyncratic idioms ('At the drop of a cat') and celebrating the child’s success in a lushly produced book that asks where worth really lies.” - Publishers Weekly Artist Lópiz ( The True Story of a Mouse Who Never Asked for It) places colorful silhouettes of leaves and birds within the contours of Luis’s face, behind his bushy moustache and serious eyes. Luis is a miraculous gardener with an intimate knowledge of wildlife. “A six-year-old narrates this reflection about a cherished grandparent. ![]() This lovely purchase is a gentle yet effective work its story and rich, complex illustrations highlight the joy of sharing the natural world that exists between a boy and his beloved grandfather.” - School Library Journal Showing love and admiration across generations, this sweet title can be a guide for the appreciation of the natural world and the quiet love of family. A wonder-filled landscape of flowers, birds, aromatic meals, and cranky cats, it is also a world far beyond what can be taught in a classroom. “Lópiz shows in lush, dreamy illustrations the magic of the world Luis shares with the boy. Warmhearted and affirming-one to pick up.” - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW By book’s end, the narrator can read well, and Luis celebrates this accomplishment with a gift that reinforces their special bond and brings this stunning and tender tale to a satisfying conclusion. ‘Dad says Luis is as good as Henri Rousseau,’ the text reads, which provides insight into the artistic inspiration behind Lópiz’s lush, naïve style and flat aesthetic. The grandchild lovingly details their grandfather’s appreciation for birds, cats, and the natural world as well as his many skills, like gardening, cooking, playing guitar, and painting. Although early on, the narrator informs us, ‘I’m learning to read and write,’ this does not turn into a story centered on Luis’ illiteracy. Because Luis fled Spain as a child during ‘a terrible war’ and had to work to support himself in France, he never went to school or learned to read and write. The young narrator loves how Luis mixes up idioms, the source of the book’s title. The sensitively written text reveals Luis’ struggles without presenting him as lesser. ★ “A dark-haired, pale-skinned 6-year-old adores spending time with their grandfather, whom they call Luis. A loving testament to the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and the breathtaking beauty of the natural world, illustrated with evocative, multilayered art by Violeta Lópiz. Luis's playful vocabulary is as vibrant and full of life as his garden, and phrases that are particular to his way of talking, like "at the drop of a cat" (which means right away), are soon adapted into the little boy's lexicon, too.Ī talented cook, artist, and gardener, Luis has much wisdom to impart and many experiences to share with his grandson-even though, as a war refugee, he never went to school himself and never learned to read and write. But just as importantly, it’s also where he learns wonderful things from Luis, like the names of all the birds in the trees and new expressions that are so much fun to say. Luis’s garden is where the little boy practices reading and writing. With lush art by NYT Best Illustrated recipient Violeta Lópiz, a picture book about a boy and his larger-than-life immigrant grandfather, who shares with him the kind of learning that’s not taught in classrooms.Īt six years old, the child-narrator of this picture book loves nothing more than spending time with his grandpa, Luis-especially in his marvelous garden, where green beans reach as high as the sky. Translated from the French by Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong *This title will also be available on Bookshop, an organization that supports independent bookstores!
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