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Tasting Words

Illustrated by Sara Palacios
Hardcover
8-1/2"W x 10"H | 20 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Sep 29, 2026 | 32 Pages | 9780593700051
Age 3-7 years

A clever little girl figures out a way to help her grandmother assimilate and make friends in a new country through her love of food—because there’s nothing like food to turn strangers into friends!

When Ava arrives in the United States, she can’t speak English, and at first the words feel strange in her mouth, like a new flavor. But soon, thanks to school and new friends, the words start flowing. She worries about her grandmother, though. Bibi is at home cooking most of the day, and Ava doesn’t want her to be lonely.

Then Ava meets Lucie, whose French grandmother loves cooking as much as Bibi! So the girls hatch a plan, and soon Bibi and Mémé are bridging their language barriers with delicious food, sparking a friendship over new flavors and new words alike. Food truly is the universal language!
© no credit
Nelly Buchet is the author of a dozen books for young readers, including ALA Notable Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family, which was chosen by children around the world as the 2021 Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature winner. She has taught nonviolent conflict resolution in schools and created a nonprofit project that brings picture books to refugee children through orphanages and libraries. French-American, she lives in Berlin and loves dance and dogs, preferably together. View titles by Nelly Buchet
SARA PALACIOS is the recipient of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Award for her work on Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match and has illustrated many picture books for children. Sara earned her B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco where she lives with her husband. View titles by Sara Palacios
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About

A clever little girl figures out a way to help her grandmother assimilate and make friends in a new country through her love of food—because there’s nothing like food to turn strangers into friends!

When Ava arrives in the United States, she can’t speak English, and at first the words feel strange in her mouth, like a new flavor. But soon, thanks to school and new friends, the words start flowing. She worries about her grandmother, though. Bibi is at home cooking most of the day, and Ava doesn’t want her to be lonely.

Then Ava meets Lucie, whose French grandmother loves cooking as much as Bibi! So the girls hatch a plan, and soon Bibi and Mémé are bridging their language barriers with delicious food, sparking a friendship over new flavors and new words alike. Food truly is the universal language!

Creators

© no credit
Nelly Buchet is the author of a dozen books for young readers, including ALA Notable Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family, which was chosen by children around the world as the 2021 Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature winner. She has taught nonviolent conflict resolution in schools and created a nonprofit project that brings picture books to refugee children through orphanages and libraries. French-American, she lives in Berlin and loves dance and dogs, preferably together. View titles by Nelly Buchet
SARA PALACIOS is the recipient of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Award for her work on Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match and has illustrated many picture books for children. Sara earned her B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco where she lives with her husband. View titles by Sara Palacios

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