Grandma's Roof Garden

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

Granny may be old, but she’s certainly not feeble – or idle! She’s built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building.

She collects thrown-away produce and feeds it to her chicks and geese – or composts it for the garden. 

She waters, weeds, and teaches the neighborhood children to care for the garden like she does: with love, patience, and pride. 

And come harvest time, Granny gathers her fresh produce and cooks up delicious meals for her friends and family…or gives them their own bags of yummy treasures so they can cook on their own!

Debut author/illustrator Tang Wei creates a love letter to an indomitable grandma of the city, inspired by her own childhood and a beloved relative. In rhyming couplets and quatrains reminiscent of Chinese nursery rhymes and folk chants, and vibrant colored pencil drawings, Wei shows how one person can create a beautiful green space in the heart of the concrete jungle, bringing together an entire community.

About the Author

Tang Wei is a rising young Chinese illustrator from Sichuan province. She is graduate of Sichuan Xihua University’s animation program and was a 2021 Finalist in the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair’s Golden Pinwheel Illustration Awards. Grandma’s Roof Garden is her debut work as an author/illustrator and a true book of her heart.

Kelly Zhang is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, bilingual author, and literary translator based in Ottawa, Canada. She writes heartfelt stories inspired by her heritage culture and informed by her lived experiences. Kelly also translates contemporary children's fiction originating from mainland China and the Chinese diaspora, and always seeks to elevate the voices of young emerging writers and women creatives. Her debut picture book, Take Me to Laolao, is forthcoming with Quill Tree/HC in Winter 2024. She translates for the New York Times for Kids (China edition) and regularly contributes to the WorldKidLit Blog. Connect with Kelly on Twitter (@KellyZhang_YL), or visit her website: www.kellyzhangyl.com.