What's In Our Library?
Grandma Lena’s Big Ol’Turnip
by Denia Hester
Grandma Lena believes that something worth doing is worth doing right. So she takes good care of the turnips she plants in her garden. One turnip grows to an enormous size―Baby Pearl thinks it’s a big potato! It is big enough to feed half the town. And it’s so big that Grandma can’t pull it out of the ground! Even when Grandpa, Uncle Izzy, Aunt Netty, and the dog help Grandma yank and tug, the big ol’ turnip doesn’t budge. Still, this African-American family, including Baby Pearl, knows how to pull together.
What Does Our Teacher Say?
“Coming from an African American family, I loved seeing the different personality types in this book. There’s no judgement. We accept that family members are coming around or hanging out, even while Grandma Lena is busy at work. We also see how despite every family member having their own style, everyone pitches in to help Grandma Lena when she asks for help. While I didn’t grow up with a lot of large family gatherings, I recognized all of the characters in the story. That’s wonderful because that means many of our students will also be able to relate to the family dynamics, despite their own ethnicity, race, or nationality.
This book shows our kiddos that hardwork can reap big rewards if we don’t give up.
It also reminds us that family and even the family dog, has your back. This book gets 2 thumbs up.”- Ms. Rae
What Do Our Kids Say?
“The baby’s diaper!”
Yes, our kiddos loved the illustrations, as much as they loved baby pearls cute outfit.