Words Between Us

Felix has only ever known his grandmother from far away, since the two of them have lived on opposite sides of the world. That changes when Grandma moves in with his family after leaving Vietnam. Felix is eager to get to know her, but they run into a problem right away: she speaks no English, and he knows very little Vietnamese.

The two look for other ways to connect, and they find common ground in their love of pizza. Later, Grandma gets lost and has no way to ask strangers for help, so Felix sets out to teach her English. As they teach each other, they begin to share words as well as meals. Angela Pham Krans, author of Finding Papa, wrote the story, and Dung Ho, a New York Times bestselling illustrator known for Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, provided the pictures. Readers who enjoyed Drawn Together may like this one too.

The book follows how affection can exist without a shared language, and how food and flashcards can draw a family closer together.