Pa, Me, and Our Sidewalk Pantry: A Picture Book

by Toni Buzzeo, Zara Gonzalez Hoang (Illustrator)

Overview

A kind and generous grandparent-grandchild duo nourishes their neighborhood in this full-color picture book from New York Times bestselling author Toni Buzzeo and illustrator Zara González Hoang.

Pa and his grandchild, Jelly Bean, have a sidewalk library filled with stories. Anyone can bring donations or take something to read. Jelly Bean loves the sidewalk library! But what about when their neighbors might need something more than books?

Together, Pa and Jelly Bean build a sidewalk pantry right next to the sidewalk library. They get donations from neighbors who have a lot to give, and leave the doors open for those who may not have enough.

This charming multigenerational story celebrates community, generosity, and creative problem-solving.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419749377
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	07/11/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	623,512
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Toni Buzzeo’s first three books in the Guess-the-Job series (Whose Truck?, Whose Tools?, and Whose Boat?) have sold more than 100,000 copies. She is also the author of the 2013 Caldecott Honor Book and New York Times bestseller One Cool Friend, as well as 25 other books for children. Endlessly enthusiastic, Buzzeo draws on her career experiences as an elementary school librarian in crafting her books and speaking with audiences of children in schools and libraries. She lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, in a two-family home where her grandchildren live one flight up.

Editorial Reviews

05/15/2023

“Pa’s workshop is just about my favorite place,” begins the young narrator of this community care story by Buzzeo (When Sue Found Sue). The child, portrayed with light brown skin, sports a fade; Pa is shown with brown skin, black hair, and a mustache. “What’s on your mind, Jelly Bean?” Pa asks affectionately, as the youth holds the sign from the sidewalk library out front. “With Mom out of work, we need food as much as we need books. I think other people might too.” To accompany the sidewalk library, the two build a sidewalk pantry. In a thoughtful step-by-step narrative, they also devote thought to food pairings (soup and crackers, oatmeal and raisins), treats, and how they’ll resupply. Watercolor, colored pencil, and digitally wrought art from González Hoang (Measuring a Year) show close-ups of tools, food, and packaging, and focus on the relationship between Pa and Jelly Bean as well as an anonymous note that connects with the child. Straightforward familial action, the young narrator’s compassion, and Pa’s flexibility (“Sometimes, you just need to switch things up”) give listeners plenty to engage with. Resources conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Generosity and community spirit abound in Buzzeo’s picture book about a boy and his grandfather working to nourish their neighborhood in mind and body. Hoang’s watercoloresque illustrations are charmingly childlike and capture the sweetness of the grandfather and grandson’s close relationship.

Booklist

"Buzzeo has written a timely book on the underrated power of libraries and mutual aid. Hoang’s delicate use of colored pencil and watercolor gives the tale an endearing and pleasant touch. A charming, intergenerational story of compassion, creativity, and community."—Kirkus

Generosity and community spirit abound in Buzzeo’s picture book about a boy and his grandfather working to nourish their neighborhood in mind and body. Hoang’s watercoloresque illustrations are charmingly childlike and capture the sweetness of the grandfather and grandson’s close relationship.

—Booklist

From the Publisher

2023-04-24
In Buzzeo’s latest, a grandfather and grandchild establish a sidewalk pantry for their neighborhood.

Jelly Bean and Pa, who present Black, have a sidewalk library full of free books for their community. However, Jelly Bean declares, “We need food as much as we need books”—especially with Jelly Bean’s mom out of work. Pa agrees and asks, “So, what do you propose?” In Pa’s workshop, one of Jelly Bean’s favorite places, they build a wooden cabinet using recycled wood and set the new pantry next to the library. The new sign, painted by Jelly Bean, tells passersby to “read all you want” and “take all you need.” Later, after some of the food the two of them place inside the pantry is taken, Jelly Bean discovers a handwritten note of gratitude from an anonymous friend. The heartwarming gesture inspires the child, who, along with Pa, organizes an outreach strategy to involve their neighbors. They knock on doors and hang flyers throughout their vibrant, diverse neighborhood to request book and food donations. This energizes their entire community and results in a collective effort to keep both the library and pantry stocked. Buzzeo has written a timely book on the underrated power of libraries and mutual aid. Hoang’s delicate use of colored pencil and watercolor gives the tale an endearing and pleasant touch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming, intergenerational story of compassion, creativity, and community. (more information on the Little Free Pantries movement, tips on helping fight hunger) (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews