Just Us

By Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan. Charlesbridge, 2024. 32 pages. $17.99/hardcover; $9.99/eBook. Recommended for ages 3–7.

This lovely picture book shares one family’s winter holiday traditions. Their grandma flies in and makes three kinds of pie. They have a big dinner with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Every branch of the family brings something: perhaps the turkey or the green bean casserole. But one year, there is an enormous snowstorm, and grandma’s flight is canceled. The aunts, uncles, and cousins also decide the roads are too treacherous. So the celebration involves only the four members of the nuclear family. A slow-cooker stew replaces the turkey. The family takes a hike in the snow, and card games replace the usual charades. But the children are missing their grandmother and her pies. Luckily, they are able to reach her online. She shares an apple crisp recipe that requires ingredients they happen to have. The children make cards to tell their family how they missed them. All in all, it turns out to be a pretty special day with some new traditions. The apple crisp recipe is included at the end of the book.

The family in this story consists of two children and two moms. This fact is presented in such a natural and low-key way that I wonder if it will even be an issue for the children hearing the story. Perhaps they know similar families in the community. Just Us is a wonderful book to read aloud to discuss family, holiday traditions, and how to adapt to changing circumstances. I have not tried Grandma’s apple crisp recipe, but I think having the dish ready to eat as a snack or even preparing it with a child could be a great activity to accompany the book.

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Eileen Redden lives in Lincoln, Del., and worships with the Lewes (Del.) Worship Group.