One More Jar of Jam
by Michelle Sumovich; illus. by Gracey Zhang
Primary    Dial    40 pp.
8/23    9780593112670    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593112663    $10.99

A close-knit family living in a small blue house treasures the sprawling mulberry tree that grows in their yard. They drape it with “sparkling baubles and beads” to keep the birds away from the delicious fruits, which they harvest to make jam. Repeatedly, Sumovich sets up the conditional: “If you ever have a mulberry tree,” marking off the joys of living near one—until the tone shifts. The young protagonist lies awake as a storm rages, wondering “if the berries will hang on for one more jar of jam.” But winds topple the tree. The family members go through the subsequent seasons without their beloved tree, yet they still gather to celebrate it. In a spread that depicts the protagonist hugging her grandmother, the text poignantly notes: “If you ever have a mulberry tree, you might love it now more than ever. Now that you know it’s enough just to grow.” With sketchy lines and highly textured watercolor washes, Zhang captures the affection family members have for one another and the love they have for the outdoors; her opening depictions of the mulberry tree as it blooms are particularly vivid. This story of loss ends on an optimistic note when “silent, shiny leaves” burst forth from the trunk that remains after the storm. The family celebrates, shouting and dancing and waiting “for one more jar of jam.”

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.