Just Us

After a snowstorm snarls travel, a family of four explores new ways to celebrate, “just us,” in Griffin’s emotionally aware story. With opening first-person lines, a youthful speaker describes the jubilant festivities that take place every year with extended family, portrayed with pale skin, including a “big, big dinner, everybody together,” “charades, loud and rowdy,” and three kinds of pie. In the absence of these traditions, the narrating child and a sibling, led by Mom and Mama, fill the day with cozy activities—cooking stew, hiking through the snow, playing a card game—that each prove enjoyable in their own way. When pent-up disappointment results in an understandable emotional outburst, the foursome loops in Grandma virtually for a “sweet” ending. Semirdzhyan’s scribbly-lined drawings create animated narrative scenes that capture the range of sentiments suggested by the story’s focuses on togetherness and adaptability. An apple crisp recipe concludes.—Publishers WeeklyHoliday traditions can be a source of great comfort and fun. Conversely, a sudden disruption feels challenging to anyone, especially to young children. The little narrator of this story is used to having a full house for the holidays, replete with lots of food, loud games, and, of course, Grandma’s pies. Disappointingly, a surprise snowstorm prevents her grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their pets from coming, so the rambunctious family event becomes “Just Mom, Mama, my brother, and me.” Nevertheless, the little family gamely makes the best of the changed circumstances, cooking a pot of stew instead of a feast, going for a snowy hike, playing cards, and, with grandma’s virtual help, whipping up some apple crisp instead of pie. Ultimately, they realize that something different can still feel special. Semirdzhyan’s illustrations effectively alternate vignettes and spreads, with an almost sketch-like style lovingly capturing the domestic warmth of both extended and nuclear families. A recipe for Grandma’s Apple Crisp is included in the back.VERDICT A charming, cozy tale that emphasizes the importance of family and flexibility in holiday celebrations.—School Library JournalEvery year during the winter holidays, the young narrator’s Grandma flies in to visit, and her aunts and uncles arrive at her house by car with all the cousins. “Every year we play charades, loud and rowdy. Then we light a fire in the fireplace and eat Grandma’s three kinds of pie. That’s what happens every year. It’s tradition.” This year a huge snowstorm disrupts travel plans and it’s just her immediate family members (all are white): Mom, Mama, her brother and her. “Would it even feel like the holidays with just us?” Mom directs them in making stew in the slow cooker (no turkey from Aunt Sarah), and Mama leads them on a hike through the glittering snowy landscape. There aren’t enough people for charades after dinner, but they play cards. “It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t rowdy. But it was kind of fun anyway …” Still, when it’s time for the fire and dessert, the narrator’s lingering disappointment brims over—no pie! A video call to grandma, in which she talks them through making apple crisp, is the perfect salve. “It was just us, but it still felt special.” This entertaining, relatable, emotionally honest story is full of delight in the details while illuminating ways disappointment can sometimes make space for unexpected pleasure, and even new traditions. —CCBC Choices 2025

Molly Beth Griffin is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program in writing for children and young adults and a writing teacher at the Loft Literary Center in the Twin Cities. She is the author of Ten Beautiful Things, Loon Baby, and Silhouette of a Sparrow.

Anait Semirdzhyan has a passion for illustrating children’s books. She is the illustrator of several picture books such as Babo- A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day, The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale, and The Arabic Quilt- An Immigrant Story. She lives in Seattle with her husband and twin daughters.

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