Miss Irwin

When Andy, an East Asian–presenting second grader, visits his grandmother, she calls him not his own name, but another: “Willie.” Though the following pages see her mixing the past and present, her earlier days as a kindergarten teacher remain clear in her mind. Her grandson offers a reminder (“I’m Andy, Grandma”), but quickly realizes that Grandma requires care, not correction. He smoothly switches to “Miss Irwin,” and asks about a plain white box he’s found on her shelf. In oil paint on cardboard, hazy, dreamlike classroom scenes accompany Miss Irwin’s recollection of Willie, a young bird-lover in the making; the box contains a special present that Willie once crafted for Miss Irwin. In her memory, the class, portrayed with varying skin tones, puts up a hummingbird feeder and makes nectar for it, using a recipe that brings Grandma back to the present. In text and image that meander between then and now, Say (Grandfather’s Journey) highlights Andy’s ready ability to see things from his grandmother’s point of view, and to show compassion and patience when her memory is no longer dependable. An introductory author’s note explains the story’s origins. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)