October 13, 2022
Brand New Bubbe from Sarah Aronson and Ariel Landy is a different perspective on blended families in picture book form. Instead of accepting a new parent, the protagonist is faced with a new grandmother. Jillian is ok with her new stepfather, but she already has a Noni and a Gram and doesn’t need another grandmother thank you very much! But this doesn’t stop Bubbe from trying to bond with a reluctant Jillian. After mom steps in and asks (tells) Jillian to give Bubbe a chance, they end up making Bubbe’s matzo ball soup together. Jillian thinks things over and plans a Super Soup Celebration for all 3 grandmothers to come over and make their own special soups. At first it looks like there are too many cooks in the kitchen, but as everyone learns to work together, a whole feast is prepared!
Bits and Pieces: Soup is the best food. I said it! All the soup making in this book was almost as warming and lovely as eating a bowl of soup! The illustrations were drawn and colored in digitally and Ariel did a great job adding in more plot between the secondary characters.
Not Sure About: This is more of a personal note because I’ve been blended into more families than I care to remember, but I think Jillian’s Mom could have handled things better.
Favorite Part: I can’t decide between Bubbe shooting hoops and landing a jump shot in her gold chain, or the interactions between Jillian’s cat and Bubbe’s dog. It was the gold chain.
