Alison Goldberg’s picture book EIGHTEEN FLOWERS FOR GRANDMA (Red Comet Press, 2024), illustrated by Jesse White, is a sweet intergenerational story about Sadie, her grandma, and their shared love of art. When Sadie wants to make a gift for her grandma, readers experience the ups and downs of her artistic process, and the joy of creating just the right gift. EIGHTEEN FLOWERS FOR GRANDMA is a celebration of art and creativity, for all ages. I’m happy to chat with Alison to learn more about her story. Welcome, Alison!
In the story, EIGHTEEN FLOWERS FOR GRANDMA, Sadie and her grandma have arts days. Can you tell me a bit about what inspired this idea?
This book was inspired by my own grandmother, Eva, who loved to make art. When I was a child, I would spend hours in her kitchen drawing with pastels, sewing fabric scraps, or painting. She gave me an easel and my first set of oil paints. Years later, as I reflected on these times I made art with my grandmother, I realized that when someone sets the stage for a child’s creativity, it can be an expression of love. I wanted to evoke this feeling in the story through the close relationship between my characters and the ways they share art with each other during their art days.
Sadie wants to give her grandma a gift – and the process takes time and effort as she gets it right. What do you hope young readers take away from Sadie’s experience?
Sadie’s perseverance explores an aspect of creativity that I think about a lot as a writer. I find that often a story seed takes root long before it has all it needs to grow, and it can take time and effort to complete the process.
For example, this book began in 2019. I was at the Yiddish Book Center for the Tent Program for Children’s Literature when I had the idea to write a book about giving chai, the Jewish tradition symbolizing a gift of life. At the same time, I wanted to tell a story inspired by my grandmother Eva’s pursuit of her college degree at the age of seventy-eight. The more I thought about this project, the number of threads grew— a love of art, a close relationship between a granddaughter and grandmother, and the joy of lifelong learning. I drafted, and then I drafted again. After a few more attempts, I let it rest. When I returned to this story in 2022, I was able to give it a fresh look. I thought about how my grandmother loved to paint flowers, and then I found a quote by the artist Marc Chagall about what flowers meant to him. That’s when I understood the book’s theme—about how life and art can be intertwined.
Sadie wants to create a gift that truly reminds her of Grandma, but carrying out her artistic idea takes several tries, and patience. She experiments, and along the way has several creative inspirations drawn from the world around her. In the story, Grandma tells Sadie, “May our lives be filled with art and our art be filled with life.” This is what I hope young readers take away from Sadie’s experience. Allowing the time and space for inspirations-from-life to blossom can be at the heart of the creative process.
What were your thoughts when you first saw the illustrations by Jesse White?
The illustrations are so beautiful! I love the warmth of the characters, the Jewish papercut-inspired elements, the uniqueness of each spread, how Jesse rendered each art project, Sadie’s movement between scenes with family and friends and her art making… Jesse’s art is full of wonder.
The story incorporates Jewish life and symbols, including a Jewish wedding, a chai necklace, and more. Do you think art plays an important role in Jewish life?
When I set out to write a story about the milestone of a graduation, I thought about some of the art forms that I associate with happy occasions. Dancing the hora, klezmer music, and the symbolism of the chai necklace convey the joy I wanted to weave into the book. These art forms make me think about celebrating significant events with family and friends. Art can play an important role in life, and a wide variety of arts have been created in connection to Jewish holidays, traditions, and stories.
Thank you, Alison!
ALISON GOLDBERG is a writer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the author of I Love You for Miles and Miles. She also wrote the award-winning nonfiction picture book Bottle Tops, a biography of the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. Eighteen Flowers for Grandma was inspired by her own grandmother, who graduated from college at the age of seventy-eight. You can visit Alison online at alisongoldberg.com
This book sounds uplifting on several fronts, least of which is a woman earning a degree in her 70s. Can’t wait to read. Thanks for the introduction.
Alison is a wonderfully creative person and writer! I’ve enjoyed her other books and love this one in my “preview” reading. Congratulations on another success!