ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PICTURE BOOKS
Say, Allen

Miss Irwin

32 pp. | Scholastic | April, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781338300406 $19.99
(2) K-3 Remembering what his parents have told him about Grandma, second grader Andy patiently goes along when she calls him by the wrong name, confusing him for a student she'd taught long ago. "I had you in kindergarten...I am Miss Irwin." He asks her ("Grandma...I mean, Miss Irwin?") about a small nest he finds in a box in her house. She reminds "Willie" how he used to watch birds through the classroom window, and how she set up a hummingbird feeder in the plum tree outside; in turn, on the last day of school he gave her a tiny bird's nest he had made. When she says, "Wouldn't it be lovely to make nectar again?" her grandson suggests they put up a bird feeder. Facing pages contain close-up portraits of Andy on one side, saying, "It'll be fun to feed the hummingbirds together, Gran," and a beaming Grandma on the other, replying, "Nothing would make me happier, Andy." Just as Miss Irwin years before had forged a connection with quiet, bird-loving Willie, Andy finds a way to reach his beloved grandmother. Say illustrates his gentle, loving story with softly sun-dappled, colorful oil paintings that range from hazy to clear, depending on the clarity of Grandma's mind and memory. A brief but heartfelt author's note explains the story's origins.
Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

RELATED 

PICTURE BOOKS

Born Ready
by Patterson, Jodie
PICTURE BOOKS

The House of Grass and Sky
by Ray, Mary Lyn
PICTURE BOOKS

The Dog's Gardener
by Storms, Patricia
PICTURE BOOKS

And I Paint It
by Kephart, Beth
PICTURE BOOKS

Poem in My Pocket
by Tougas, Chris
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?