Jam for Nana

PreS-K—A little girl enjoys spending time with her Nana, making pancakes and spreading jam, smoothing it all the way to the edges with the back of her spoon "until it looks like a giant orange sun." Nana is not completely satisfied with the results because this is not nearly the same kind that she recalls in the old country when apricot jam tasted like "the warmth of a hundred summers" and would never slide off the bottom of her spoon. With heartfelt determination, her granddaughter strives to acquire it via scooter, airplane, boat, or any other means necessary until they both discover that jam "made with love and sunshine" creates another kind of jam experience that they can create and share together. Spare poetic language is intimately paired with subtle pencil illustrations, conveying much in these heartwarming pages. An initial reading may lead readers to wonder where Nana's old country is located, a place much too far for her young granddaughter to visit. No information is supplied about the origins of Nana's childhood home. The fragile bonds between young and old are oftentimes hard to ignite, yet Kelly's book crosses the boundaries in a gentle manner. The poignant message that resonates by the end is that the two can still "taste the sun" together without traveling far from home.