7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #736: Featuring Jason Chin
March 28th, 2021 by jules
pelting rain, and biting snow.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
I’ve a review over at BookPage of Andrea Wang’s beautiful Watercress (Neal Porter Books, March 2021), illustrated by Jason Chin.
I’ll send you here to read it, and below are some spreads from the book.
and a longing for China.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
We hold our breaths. Mom never told us what happened to him.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
It is delicate and slightly bitter, like Mom’s memories of home.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
WATERCRESS. Text copyright © 2021 by Andrea Wang. Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Jason Chin and reproduced by permission of the publisher, Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Holiday House, New York.
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.
1) This exquisite book featured here today. Look at the girl’s face in the last spread pictured here. Her expression speaks volumes.
2) This NPR profile of illustrator James Ransome.
3) Minari.
4) Outdoor visits with friends — with the hopes that soon they will be indoors and not distanced.
5) Walks with friends.
6) Walks in shorts.
7) I’m grateful for the life and work of Beverly Cleary. This tribute made me smile. It’s from author Celia C. Pérez, who wrote: “You were not a 90s zinester if you did not have a reference to Ramona Quimby somewhere in your zine (or on your body).”
What are YOUR kicks this week?
Hi there, I can’t believe last Sunday came and went. Today’s book is beautiful and so is the story.
Jules, yesterday was a shorts day her. Today rain. I want to see Minari.
My kicks:
1. Time with Medford daughter and grands.
2. Watched Sound of Metal…oh wow.
3. Reading verse novels for National Poetry Month.
4. Writing with a group of women over Zoom.
5. Visited a garden center yesterday.
6. Good pizza.
7. Today I get my 2nd vaccine shot! Pfizer.
Have a great week.
Jone, I hope you get the non-scary kind of rain. I should have put as a kick that our house is still standing. We’ve had two rounds in the past couple of days of having to spend waaaay too much time watching meteorologists and hiding (or preparing to hide) in a safe place in our house.
Minari is beautiful, Jone, and I didn’t plan the timing of this post, though it looks like I did. (I think minari is considered a kind of Korean watercress.)
And now a new kick for me is having seen Bowen Yang’s commentary on SNL last night. We missed most of the show, because of severe weather, but I did see that.
The Sound of Metal may be my favorite, Jone. Those last thirty seconds. Ah.
Congrats on your second dose today, and enjoy the week!
Hi Imps! Happy spring!
Jason: Thank you for sharing your illustrations with us today. I love the color palette and how much is communicated in that cover image!
Jules: Ramona appreciation society for sure. I liked Minari.
Jone: Hope the second shot goes smoothly! Enjoy the poetry and the writing groups.
My kicks from the past week:
1) Truth
2) Space
3) Checking
4) Endeavors
5) Vegetables
6) Pace
7) Okay
I know I will love Watercress, Jules. I am already swooning at what you showed us and what I have seen on other social media platforms. We need this book. For some reason the passing of Beverly Clearly has hit me hard. I know she was old, but knowing she was still alive gave each day a certain lightness. She was one special human.
Jone: I got my second vaccine on Monday. In eight days, I am going to go to a garden center, stand in the middle, close my eyes, and smell. I am glad you got to go.
My kicks this week:
1. Sun
2. Watching tulips come up
3. Reading newly released picture books
4. Savoring Root Magic by Eden Royce
5. Looking forward to Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
6. Plotting a walking route for Mulan and me when we can walk again
7. Romps with Mulan
Have a wonderful week one and all.
Love this story and gorgeous illustrations today. The color palette is beautiful and captures the mix of past and present in such an amazing way.
Jules – hooray for walks in shorts and getting to see friends. Minari is on my list – cannot wait to see it! Very thankful for Beverly Cleary and her books – especially Ramona. Hope your family continues to be safe from the weather!!
Jone – yay for getting that second shot!!!! It makes me so happy to hear when people have gotten vaccinated. What a lovely, full week you had. Pizza, yum.
Little Willow – love all your kicks, as always, but especially truth and vegetables.
My kicks this week:
1) Productive work week leading to good results.
2) Getting letters and postcards from #penlaooza penpals – always a mood lifter.
3) Testified (via Zoom) before the state legislature again, and so did the two law students who have worked on a 2 year project with me. They did AMAZING! I was so incredibly impressed and proud of them.
4) Took this class: “How To Be A Great Writers’ Assistant And Script Coordinator: The Basics” yesterday and it was informative and fun, and the surprise guest at the end was Gloria Calderón Kellett, the showrunner for One Day At A Time, which was also cool.
5) Spending time outdoors soaking up the gorgeous sunshine with Daisy.
6) Getting to spend time with a friend I had not seen in over a year because of the pandemic. We went out of Portland to do some socially distant wine-tasting and lunch, and it was delightful and oh-so-wonderful. I have missed my friends and am so grateful for vaccinations making it possible to see people I otherwise have not been able to see this past year ( while still following safety guidelines, of course).
7) The ever-increasing vaccine rollout. So grateful that the population is getting vaccinated in increasing numbers.
7.5) Rainy, peaceful Sunday at home with Daisy.
Have a wonderful week imps!
Margie – I missed you in cyberspace – hooray for having gotten that second vaccination – enjoy the visit to the garden center! Hi to Mulan!
It’s such a beautiful & heartfelt book! I am a friend & critique partner of Andrea’s & was honored to have seen this special book evve. Sure to win many well deserved awards 💚💚💚🌱!
Little Willow: Have you seen this very tall vegetable book?
Margie, eight days! Congrats! I’m excited for you.
Rachel, I especially love that third kick. And your wine-tasting and lunch sound soooooo lovely.
Maria! I’m a fan of your books too. Was just reading one of them about an hour ago. No kidding. Yes, this is a beautifully crafted book. So neat that you got to read it first.
Have a good week, you all!
Margie: Yay for your second vaccine! Hi Mulan!
Rachel: Go Rachel go! Hi Daisy!
Jules: Yum. I love vegetables.
Hi Maria!