Miri’s Moving Day

K-Gr 3–Miri is moving away from the apartment building where she has lived her whole life. To help with the move, grandparents from both sides of the family are there to bring important parts of her cultures to her new home. A mezuzah given by her grandfather Yeh Yeh is hung on the door with the help of Zayde, her other grandfather. Small carved lions are given to her by Zayde, representing the lion statues in front of her former apartment building. Both provide protection for the new house that will one day feel more like home. Back pages explain the cultural and religious meaning behind the two gifts. Chen’s illustrations are simple in the attempt to represent the two cultures; perhaps deliberately, the grandfathers’ features are very similar until one dons a yarmulke. Although the stone lions outside her building are identified as Chinese, there are no mentions of race or ethnicity; the cultural cues are in words such as mezuzah and Shabbat and the names for the grandparents. Mah Mah and Bubbe, the grandmothers, are silent onlookers throughout. Children will need to read closely to determine the plot twist: the Asian grandfather gives the mezuzah to Miri, while Zayde, wearing a yarmulke, offers the carved lions. Full of good intentions, this book attempts to treat both cultures evenly, perhaps at the expense of clarity.