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“A young girl of South Asian descent and her family collect treasured memories. When Mama comes home with an empty jar, Zuni imagines filling it with cookies. But this jar is meant for something even more special: memories. …It isn’t until they review their memories that the family opens the jar and realizes that, unbeknownst to them, Zuni has been making her own memories from bits and pieces of life her elders were too busy to notice, value, or understand. …Perhaps the most impressive part of the story is its message—while it’s important to mark big achievements, Saeed encourages children and their families to see everyday moments as extraordinary, too.”

– Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Zuni and the Memory Jar

Written by Aisha Saeed
Illustrated by Neha Rawat
Published by Kokila

Meet Zuni. She’s sweet, silly, ever-so-charming, and full of bright ideas. Her family has a memory jar. Anytime someone in the family does something important, they mark those moments through notes and photos stored in the jar and share those memories together at the end of the year.

Her parents tell Zuni that when she grows up, she’ll have important memories to share, too, like graduations, and milestones, and trophies. But Zuni is already making memories! And at the end of the year, her family gets to see the moments that made an impact on little Zuni.

A deceptively simple story for young and old alike, Zuni and the Memory Jar is a reminder to celebrate everyday joys in life along with the grand achievements.

Primary ISBN: 9780593618950
Publication Date: June 2024
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Unspecified

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Source: Barnes & Noble