A CUP OF QUIET

A grandmother and grandchild find refuge in their garden when the noise of life gets to be too much.

Every June, the lively young narrator spends two weeks at Grandma’s house. Together, they play make-believe, bake, have tea parties with dolls, and act out stories. But today, Grandma covers her ears to block the sound of Grandpa’s hammering and the music he plays while working. Announcing that she’s “thirsty for / a cup of quiet,” Grandma first seeks it on the front porch, but the street noise is overwhelming. So they flee to the backyard garden, where Grandma sits perfectly still. She instructs the child to walk around and fill an imaginary cup with sounds. The child collects the buzz of a bee, the whistle of wind, the hum of a hummingbird’s wings, and raindrops on the roof; the last sends the two running back inside. Before Grandma can get irritated by the cacophony, the child hands her the cup of soothing sounds, which Grandma finds “very refreshing.” Grimes’ simple, lyrical text depicts a sweet, relationship-based mini-adventure with a victory both adults and children will appreciate. Johnson’s whimsical illustrations, which make use of engaging compositions in pastel colors, are as poetic as Grimes’ verse. Both characters present Black; the child is darker-skinned with braids and beads, while Grandma has a short, gray Afro.

Playful, soothing, and beautiful.