A young boy shares his observant and abundant appreciation for his grandpa, Luis, in this picture book originally published in France. Luis takes care of the six-year-old narrator twice a week: “Every Wednesday, and on Sundays, too.” Luis is a gardener and a lover of nature. “When he talks to the chickadees, they talk back. … Luis talks with his cat too. They don’t always agree.” The boy notes that Luis has been working since he was a young boy himself. Later, he was a refugee; he walked to France from Spain at age 11. “Dad told me Luis didn’t have a chance to be a kid.” Luis never learned to read or write, and he says he’s too old to learn now, but he loves wordplay, sometimes teasingly saying “at the drop of a cat,” or telling his grandson that he’s “the apple of his pie.” The young narrator loves these turns of phrase, even if his teacher doesn’t. Luis can draw, cook, sing, and play guitar; and now, he’s teaching his grandson to play, too. Love—unstated yet obvious—radiates from every page of a child-centered story set against distinct, expressive illustrations celebrating the natural world that—along with his grandson—clearly brings Luis joy. (Ages 4-8)

With lush art by two-time NYT Best Illustrated recipient Violeta Lópiz, a picture book about a boy and his larger-than-life immigrant grandfather, who shares with him the kind of learning that's not taught in classrooms.

★ A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2023! ★ A NYPL Best Children's Book of 2023! ★ A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2023! ★ A Marginalian Favorite Book of 2023! ★ A 2024 USBBY Outstanding International Book!

At six years old, the child-narrator of this picture book loves nothing more than spending time with his grandpa, Luis--especially in his marvelous garden, where green beans reach as high as the sky. Luis's garden is where the little boy practices reading and writing. But just as importantly, it's also where he learns wonderful things from Luis, like the names of all the birds in the trees and new expressions that are so much fun to say. Luis's playful vocabulary is as vibrant and full of life as his garden, and phrases that are particular to his way of talking, like "at the drop of a cat" (which means right away), are soon adapted into the little boy's lexicon, too.

A talented cook, artist, and gardener, Luis has much wisdom to impart and many experiences to share with his grandson--even though, as a war refugee, he never went to school himself and never learned to read and write. A loving testament to the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and the breathtaking beauty of the natural world, illustrated with evocative, multilayered art by Violeta Lópiz.