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The Sour Cherry Tree Hardcover – Picture Book, October 15, 2021

by Naseem Hrab (Author), Nahid Kazemi (Illustrator)

4.3 26 ratings

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A heartwarming look at love, loss, and memorable objects through the eyes of a child by critically-acclaimed creators Naseem Hrab and Nahid Kazemi
"Deeply evocative ... A beautifully poignant celebration of memories of a loved one that live on in those that remain." — Kirkus Reviews – STARRED REVIEW
After her grandfather’s death, a young girl wanders through his house. As she tours each room, the objects she discovers stir memories of her grandfather—her baba bozorg. His closet full of clothes reminds her of the mints he kept in his pockets. His favorite teacup conjures thoughts of the fig cookies he would offer her. The curtains in the living room bring up memories of hide-and-seek games and the special relationship that she and her baba bozorg shared, even though they spoke different languages.
The Sour Cherry Tree is an authentic look at death and loss centred on the experiences of a child, both strikingly whimsical and matter-of-fact. Drawing on the Iranian-Canadian author’s childhood memories, this tender meditation on grief, love, and memory is at once culturally specific and universally relatable.

From the Publisher

"Deeply evocative ... A beautifully poignant celebration of memories of a loved one that live on in those that remain." — Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-This book on grief and the passing of a grandparent perfectly encapsulates a child's perspective. The death of Baba Bozorg happened the day before, and now a small girl and her mother go to his house to "take care of a few things." The bed where the child often found him napping is empty, but rumpled, as if he has just left it for a moment. His tea cup is by the samovar, where he enjoyed Ceylon with a splash of rose water and a fig cookie. He always offered a cookie to the narrator; she never liked figs, but took the offering anyway. He didn't speak much English; she spoke little Farsi. But they communicated in other ways, sharing a wink or a smile. She slips into his closet to remember. From there, she spies the sour cherry tree in his front yard, which he planted when the girl's mother was her own age. "Whenever we left Baba Bozorg's house, he would wave at us until I couldn't see him anymore." That's the last line of the book, as wistful as the casual mention that Baba Bozorg was a published poet in Iran, with an illustration of him in a book of his writings. Kazemi's soft pictures have a diffused quality; this is the past, this is the present, it doesn't matter. VERDICT This book gives voice to the hidden aspects of grief, the small token, the remembered word or gesture that defines memories. It's an essential guide to mourning, in its earliest stages, for the young.-Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journalα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"Deeply evocative ... A beautifully poignant celebration of memories of a loved one that live on in those that remain." ― Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW

"A universally relatable story that articulates a difficult concept for younger audiences, with a heartfelt message about loss and the memories of loved ones."

― Booklist - STARRED REVIEW

"This book gives voice to the hidden aspects of grief, the small token, the remembered word or gesture that defines memories. It’s an essential guide to mourning, in its earliest stages, for the young." ― School Library Journal - STARRED REVIEW

"The Sour Cherry Tree lives on beyond the page. From the expanse of grief to a message of hope, it embodies what the young girl perhaps most loved about her grandfather: that he loved her." ― Quill & Quire - STARRED REVIEW

"A portrait of a beloved grandfather who kept mints in his pockets, liked fig cookies, and 'spoke Farsi loudly but English quietly.'" ― Publishers Weekly

"Kazemi’s illustrations have a soft, filmy quality that suits a story about memories ... The first-person narration, filled with childlike details and tender emotions, reinforces the equally childlike perspective of the delicate art." ― The Horn Book

"[The Sour Cherry Tree] might help children and their parents to find some comfort in what's left behind."

"A lovely addition to the canon of children’s picture books that deal with the death of a grandparent."

"In Ms. Kazemi’s soft, cloudy pictures picked out with tiny details, the girl moves through the rooms of Baba Borzog’s house looking at his things ... In memory, she sees him as he was, with his wry, twinkling eyes under bushy brows and his determination always to wave goodbye until his family was out of sight."

"The story takes a gentle look at loss and allows the narrator to speak freely about all she loved about her many visits with her grandfather." ― Sal's Fiction Addiction

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Owlkids (October 15, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1771474149
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1771474146
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD520L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.5 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #917,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #952 in Children's Books on Death & Dying
- #2,522 in Children's Multigenerational Family Life
- #4,816 in Children's Self-Esteem Books

Customer Reviews:
4.3 26 ratings

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Naseem Hrab

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Naseem Hrab is the author of the picture book Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend, illustrated by Josh Holinaty. Her comedy writing has appeared on McSweeney's Internet Tendency and The Rumpus. She once worked as a librarian and currently works in children's publishing. She loves comedy, live storytelling, and coffee ice cream.

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4.3 out of 5

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Mark N. Scott

Helps children and adults

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

I read this book to my grandkids after my husband died of Covid. It helped begin the healing process...

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2022

As readers of this blog know, I am an eclectic reader. I took several library science courses in college. One of my favorite courses was on children's literature. After earning a master’s in English, I taught at MO State U (then Southwest MO State U) where children’s lit was in the English Department. I had the privilege of teaching the course several times. I still enjoy reading children’s literature. The Sour Cherry Tree written by Naseem Hrab and illustrated by Nahid Kazemi is the latest such book I’ve read.

The Sour Cherry Tree is a sweet story that begins with a little girl biting her mom’s toe to wake her. Wait, you say, how can a story starting with the biting of another person be a sweet story? The little girl tells readers that she does not bite too hard, “just hard enough to wake her.” The little girl knows her grandfather, Baba Bozog, “forgot to wake up yesterday, and he lived alone, so there was no one to bite him.” That’s sound reasoning for a little girl. In her mind, if only she had been with her Baba Bozog, she could have awakened him.

The story continues with the little girl and her mom going to Baba Bozog’s home “to take care of a few things.” While there, the little girl remembers the times with her grandfather. She wanders around the house, looking at items there and recalling happy times with her grandfather. She mentions times when Baba Bozog gave her fig cookies to eat. Even though she didn’t like the fig cookies, she ate them with him.
The Sour Cherry tree is beautifully illustrated throughout. The story and the illustrations provide a dual telling of the little girl’s visits with her grandfather. It is a story of love. On the back cover, readers will see this line: “Sometimes. You don’t need to share words to share love.”

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Good book for young children who have experienced a loss

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022

The Sour Cherry Tree is a sweet book that tackles a tough subject for little ones, the death of a grandfather.. The approach is subtle, never mentioning death or dying, just noting that the grandfather didn’t wake up one morning and now he is not at his house when the child goes there with her mom to “take care of a few things”. This book intertwines multi-cultural elements into the story as well, the grandfather is from Iran, the child refers to him as Baba Bozorg, he spoke Farsi, he did not speak English well and the child did not speak Farsi so there was a language barrier yet you can tell they still maintained a rich and loving relationship.

The child wonders through her Baba Bozorg’s house, wistfully remembering the times they shared when he was alive, His slippers remind her of the times they played hide and seek, she recalls the special tea and fig cookies he loved and always offered her when she sees his favorite tea cup, and the sour cherry tree reminds her how he always waved goodbye when they left his house. The story has a sadness to it of course, but the way the author handles the loss by sharing good memories will serve to lessen the sorrow of children facing the death of someone they love.

The illustrations in this book are done in pencil on a gray toned paper, with minimal use of color throughout, This treatment supports the overall theme of sadness, with the color keeping it from being gloomy. The drawings are simple and a bit messy, somewhat childlike, yet very charming with many details for a reader to enjoy.

Overall, I would recommend this book for younger children facing the loss of someone close to them. It does not address the bigger issues of death or try to explain it, but I feel it would be a comfort to them. The multi-cultural elements are a bonus, they are woven into the story seamlessly, any child would relate to the experiences regardless of their background.

I would like to thank the publisher for providing an electronic ARC through NetGalley.

Helpful

J. Hansen

Gentle book about death

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2021

A little girl visits her grandfather’s house after his death. As she moves through the home and goes through his things, she remembers the significance of each one in their relationship.
Hrab did an excellent job writing the child’s voice, creating a tender book about death that feels authentic. Because it is so beautifully and authentically written, it doesn’t feel too heavy with grief. It simply is what it is as the girl processes the death of a grandparent in the same way that many young children would.
Kazemi’s illustrations perfectly complement the text. They, too, are tender and quiet.

One person found this helpful

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shopper

Picture Book about death and remembrance

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2021

This book is to be savored for its illustrations and theme. Upon his death, the granddaughter of an Iranian poet, who has immigrated, wanders through his home lovingly exploring and recalling the games they played and the tea and fig cookies they shared, even though he spoke Farsi and she did not. Our memories of someone lost are rich the traditions we shared with them.

One person found this helpful

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Bobbi Jett

Universal

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022

I absolutely adore this book. It is so heartfelt, and will touch each and every readers soul. Written in simple language for young and adult readers alike.

Helpful

Mr&Mrs

A Very Special Picture Book - 4.5 stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021

This book is a very special handling of the passing of a grandparent through the eyes of a young child. I did not know what the story was about (other than a grandchild and grandparent), and so I actually experienced the story as the child went from room to room in Baba's (Grandpa's) house the day after he died. Nothing seems the same without Grandpa's presence.

Something that I really like about this book is that the author's handling of a sad situation is handled more like a celebration of life. I think that parents, educators, counselors,- basically any adult- will find this book useful to talk about the importance of a family member's life and the value of talking about the wonderful memories of this person for a long time, perhaps the rest of your life.

The illustrations have a soft focus quality, in subtle colors.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is that I wouldn't buy this book as an all-occasion gift for a child's birthday or holiday. I struggled with the rating because I did love the feeling of celebrating life.

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