Book Riot Read Harder Challenge #11 Read a picture book published in the last five years.

There is something about picture books that make me feel so nostalgic. A good picture books can invoke the joys and sadnesses of childhood. It can make you want to call your mom or grab lunch with your dad. Or leave your longing for the days you could curl up into that rocking chair as they read you to sleep. The days when your biggest worry was whether the shadow monster in the closet would come to life and eat you in your sleep.

This picture book is a heartwarming story about a young girl who, at the beginning of the story, hates watercress. Her family stops when they see it on the side of the road, and they collect it to eat. Our main character feels silly foraging for food and wishes her family would just go to the grocery store like everyone else. Her mother tells her about her life growing up in China, and our main character learns an appreciation for the vegetable and for her Chinese heritage.

If you’ve never had watercress, it’s a delicious vegetable with a slightly peppery flavor similar to mustard greens or arugula. It can be bitter, but it becomes less potent after cooking. It’s a very healthy leafy vegetable with a good dose of vitamin k and is full of antioxidants.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. And it helps to teach your kids to be grateful as well as giving them insight into Chinese culture. It may even leave you craving a salad.