Sari-Sari summers /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In this love letter to the Philippines (and to grandmothers), a young girl comes up with a brilliantly delicious way to attract customers after a heat wave leaves her lola's store empty.

Nora loves spending summers with Lola at her sari-sari store, a treasure trove filled with everything you could need, from hair accessories to toys, creamy yema to sour tamarind candy. And this year, Nora is big enough to help her grandmother. But when a heat wave strikes and no one comes to the store, Nora worries that she won't get to spend the rest of the summer with her lola--until she gets a sweet idea. After all, the mangoes on the tree outside are finally ripe, and with a bit of measuring, mixing, and a good deal of tasting, Nora and Lola have a refreshing way to bring people together--and to the sari-sari store. With soft, heartfelt illustrations, Lynnor Bontigao's endearing picture book--featuring a recipe for making mango ice candy like Nora's--is an ode to ingenuity and to intergenerational relationships that's as sweet and gentle as a kiss on the cheek.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Familial bonds burnish Bontigao's affectionate solo debut in this empowering intergenerational tale featuring a child's creative problem-solving. Nora, who cues as of Filipino descent, is staying with her grandmother, Lola, for the summer, and is finally old enough to help out at Lola's sari-sari store, where "you can buy ANYTHING"--bulk dried goods, condiments, hair clips, "and all kinds of treats!" Energetic Nora cleans (toppling a display), restocks (trying out the bubble gum), and measures (doing her best not to spill)--until a heat wave halts business and prompts worries about potentially being sent back home. As Nora rests with Lola under a mango tree, the ripe fruit gives the child an idea that could bring back customers. Digital art mimics colored pencil and pastel textures, and standout images portray a bustling community, the shop's myriad contents, and the feel of hot days in this story of how thoughtful entrepreneurship can serve and delight. Ages 3--7. (Apr.)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3--This is a love letter to grandparents who live far away and the special bond that develops when grandchildren get to spend time with them. Nora is so excited to visit her grandmother in the Philippines. She loves working with her lola in her sari-sari store, which sells nearly everything imaginable. Nora likes to help with measuring for the customers, but when a heat wave strikes and no one comes to the store, the child worries that Lola will send her home early. The mango tree just outside the store provides a delicious answer to their problems. The illustrations, digitally created, capture the busy street where the store is located as well as the love shared between Nora and her lola. A recipe for ice candy is included at the end of the book. VERDICT Celebrating the special bond between a child and an older relative, along with the setting and language details of the Philippines, makes this a highly recommended title.--John Scott

Booklist Review

Nora loves that she gets to spend summers with her lola. Lola owns a sari-sari store in a bustling part of town, and for the first time, Nora is old enough to help her grandmother sell her wares. The sari-sari store is an exciting place, full of essential household products such as detergent and rice, as well as delightful novelties and toys. Readers get to share Nora's eagerness as they are treated to a two-page spread depicting colorful, delectable items stacked neatly on the store shelves. When a heat wave causes customers to stay home, Nora and Lola come up with a clever plan to entice them back: they make mango ice candy! The plan works, and the enterprise expands to include ice candy of all flavors. This sweet story of intergenerational love will resonate with many readers. Meanwhile, an abundance of specific linguistic and cultural references integrated in both text and image will appeal to cultural insiders. Can be paired thematically with Quiet Time with My Seeya, by Dinalie Dabarera (2023).

Kirkus Book Review

A young girl of Filipina descent and her grandmother make quite the entrepreneurial team. Nora spends her summers with her Lola, who owns a sari-sari store, a convenience store ubiquitous in the Philippines. This year, Nora is proud that she's old enough to help out at the shop, located on a lively city street. She dusts, refills, and sorts, but her favorite thing to do is measure out rice, beans, and other orders for customers. Shelves of condiments and treats are brought to life in a warm palette. The gentle, spare narrative reveals a sudden dearth of customers when a heat wave hits the area. The softly textured illustrations show Nora and her Lola quietly trading worried looks. Lola says, "Let's get some fresh air, my apo." While the two rest under the shade of their mango tree, heavy with fruit, Nora has the idea to make and sell ice candy. Readers see delectable scenes of the duo mixing pieces of mango and condensed milk, then freezing it in long tubes. The homemade ice candy proves to be popular with locals, who flock back to the store for more. This sweet summer tale has Tagalog words interspersed throughout the dialogue, mostly terms of endearment that reflect the cozy relationships with family and the community. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Like a sari-sari store, brimming with joy and heart. (recipe for ice candy) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Lynnor Bontigao hails from one of the more than 7,600 islands of the Philippines. She is the illustrator of Jack & Agyu by Justine Villanueva and You Are Revolutionary by Cindy Wang Brandt. Sari-Sari Summers is her debut as author-illustrator. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the winner of the 2020 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Professional Development Award, Lynnor Bontigao lives in New Jersey with her family.