Category: books, literature, arts

Watercress by Andrea Wang- a book review

In this post I review “Watercress,” a children’s book by Andrea Wang. It tells the story of a girl who feels embarrassed when her family stops to pick watercress during a drive. Through a meal and her parents’ memories, she gains appreciation for her heritage and family. Illustrated by Jason Chin, it explores cultural identity and belonging. This is a book children and their parents will equally appreciate.

Watercress

(Spanish) Berros

By Andrea Wang

Illustrated by Jason Chin
  • Caldecott Medal Winner, 2022
  • Newbery Honor Book
  • APALA Award Winner

The story

Out for a drive with her parents and brother, a young girl gets irritated when they suddenly stop, pull over, and pile out of the car to pick wild watercress growing in a stream beside the highway.

“Watercress” they (her parents) exclaim, two voices heavy with emotion. 

As they wade in cold, muddy water to pick “weeds”, she hopes no one she knows drives by and sees her. They head home and she grows more resentful after her mother cooks the watercress for them to eat. She doesn’t want to eat “dinner from a ditch.”

But with dinner, comes a photo and a story about her parents’ life in China, before they emigrated to the United States. From the story, the girl finds a new appreciation for her family, and for watercress.

“I take a bite of watercress and it bites back with its spicey peppery taste. It is delicate and slightly bitter, like mom’s memories.”

Watercress

Click here to take a look at Watercress

Andrea Wang -Author

As you may have guessed from her name, Ms. Wang’s family is from China, and this story is autobiographical, as she explains in her author’s note.

“This story is both an apology and a love letter to my parents.”

Andrea Yang

Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Many Meanings of Meilan, is also a JLG Gold Standard Selection. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in the Denver area with her family. 

other books by Andrea Wang

What’s Great about Georgia?
Learning about Asia (Searchlight Books ™ ― Do You Know the Continents?

Jason Chin-Illustrator

The artist, also the child of Chinese immigrants, wrote in his note

“When I was painting, I drew on my own memories of exclusion, loss, and guilt with the hope that they might seep into the art and add another layer to Andrea’s remarkable story.”

Jason Chin

Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin is the author and illustrator of numerous award-winning picture books. Jason lives in Vermont with his wife, Deirdre Gill, and their two children.

books authored and illustrated by Jason

Gravity
Your Place in the Universe

Why I recommend Watercress

I had never heard of this book when I stumbled upon it in a bookstore. I’m always interested in anything written about watercress, even though despite the title it’s not the topic of this blog. As I perused the pictures and read the story, I was captivated by both the story and the illustrations.

If you come from a family that makes you “different” than the people you live around, you will understand why the young girl in this story dislikes watercress so much. But by learning the reason for her parents’ “voices heavy with emotion” she came to understand that differences are what make us who we are and sharing difficult and painful histories make families who they are and bring us closer together.

The storyline is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. This is a children’s book recommended for ages 6-9 years, but older children, teens, and adults can enjoy and learn from it.

Mr. Chin explains he used watercolor in both Chinese and Western techniques creating illustrations with soft muted colors and detailed facial expressions that almost appear to be photos. Some details tell a story in themselves- an American flag on a barn on the highway, a framed picture of the parents in China, and the girl’s tee shirt with the word PLAY across the front.

This book touches your mind and heart with a timeless lesson we all need to learn and be reminded of. Like the watercress plant, it is short but nurturing and powerful. Introduce this book to your children and yourself.

Exploring the HEART of Health

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Learning Humility-a book review

I reviewed a book by Richard J. Foster, known for his spiritual writings, delves into humility in a timely book. Exploring the Native American connection and Lakota virtues, he offers insights on humility as a transformative virtue. Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Charles Eastman, Foster’s intimate and introspective approach makes “Learning Humility” a compelling read grounded in scripture.

updated February 25, 2026

Learning Humility

A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue

By Richard J. Foster

If anyone can make a book about humility interesting, Richard Foster does. If you know his work on spiritual disciplines, prayer, spiritual formation, and classical Christian writings, you will find his latest offering similar, but with an unexpected twist. Everyone will appreciate his lack of self-promotion as a refreshing change from other “influencers”.

You could argue that devoting an entire book to humility is a step down from his previous spiritual works- even humbling you might say. But the topic and title are timely and telling, as we now see little humility in the public arena, both in secular and religious thought and behavior.

Why Humility?

Foster’s essay-style book examines humility, why we should be humble, and how to be humble, without telling us to be humble. Rather, humility cannot be forced or grasped; it requires transformation of our heart and mind.

Foster decided to explore the topic of humility as he considered New Year’s resolutions, which he doesn’t typically do. He considered journaling about it, but he doesn’t do that either.

Instead, he decided to study what the Bible and classical and modern Christian writers teach about humility and ponder its meaning as he went about his daily life at the rural Colorado home he shares with his wife.

brick church with cross on the peaked roof and blue stained glass windows
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Manitou Springs, Colorado , not affiliated with Mr. Foster; (photo by Dr. Aletha)

Celebrating Lakota Virtues

On the jacket of his book Celebration of Discipline is a photo of him,wearing a suit and tie, with short, neatly trimmed hair. He looks like a typical Christian minister.

So, I was surprised when I went to hear him speak in person; he had long hair, pulled back into a ponytail. He explained it was in deference to his Native American ancestry. Foster’s grandmother was Native American, of the Ojibwa (Chippewa) tribe.

In Learning Humility, he follows the calendar year, recording observations and musings for each month. However, because it is “rooted in the natural world” he chose to use a Native American calendar, specifically the Lakota Moon calendar.

He named each chapter for one of the thirteen Lakota moons (13 months of 28 days). He also incorporates the twelve Lakota virtues- humility, perseverance, respect, honor, love, sacrifice, truth, compassion, bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom, giving thought to how each complements humility.

Dr. Charles Eastman

I found an unexpected medical connection in this book on humility. Keeping with his Native American theme, Foster introduced us to Charles Eastman, M.D., the first Native American to graduate from medical school in the United States

Dr. Eastman, who started life as Ohiyesa, born in 1858, belonged to the Santee Lakota tribe. Dr. Eastman was raised in the traditional Dakota way by his maternal grandparents, believing his father was dead.

But as a teenager, his father found him and took him home to live as a white man. He attended white schools, eventually graduating from Dartmouth College and Boston University Medical School.

Dr. Eastman worked at the Pine Ridge Reservation Indian clinic and soon found himself caring for survivors of the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. He later worked at the Crow Creek Reservation, ran his own private practice, served as an adviser to the Boy Scouts, founded children’s summer camps, and served in national government positions.

He was most successful at writing and speaking. He published thirteen books, including The Soul of the Indian in which he reconciled the Christian faith he had adopted with traditional Lakota spirituality. Foster comments on this position in his book.

Richard J. Foster

Richard J. Foster (DThP, Fuller Theological Seminary) founded Renovaré. 

He has written several other books, including Streams of Living Water, Prayer, Freedom of Simplicity, Sanctuary of the Soul, and Celebration of Discipline, which sold over two million copies worldwide. He and his wife, Carolynn, make their home near Denver, Colorado.

Those who have read Foster’s other books, especially Celebration of Discipline, will find Learning Humility more intimate and introspective, yet still firmly grounded in scripture. If this is a first for you, consider reading the others for practical guidance on the spiritual practices of prayer, meditation, service, and study. I include affiliate links to them here.

Thank you NetGalley and InterVarsity Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Professional Reader 25 Book Reviews

Learning Humility is available on

Lightstock.com graphic; find it at this link

Exploring the HEART of Health

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