Moni Ritchie Hadley

A young girl learning to make miso discovers that good things can take time.When the first snowfall of the year reaches the foot of the nearby mountain, Chiyoko wants nothing more than to go there and build a snowman. But her father has other plans--there's miso to be made. Papa, Papa's papa, and Papa's papa's papa were all miso makers, and Chiyoko is proud to learn about her family's tradition. But miso making is a long process, and the snow isn't going to last forever. To make something truly special with her father, Chiyoko will need the most important ingredient of all: patience.

A new student connects with her classmates through origami.Starting a new school, Anzu struggles to find her place. Starting a new art unit, her class struggles to learn origami. It's not easy to make friends or to fold tiny paper figures, but with her grandfather's encouragement, Anzu finds a way to try again even when she doesn't succeed the first time--and helps her classmates do the same.

2021 Freeman Book Awards Honorable Mention - Children's LiteratureThe Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street CollegeSTARRED REVIEW "Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun...An exquisite choice for all collections."--School Library Journal starred reviewA multigenerational retelling of a Japanese legend.Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, celebrates a popular folktale: The Emperor of the Heavens separates his daughter, Orihime, from her love, Hikoboshi, all year--but on this day the two stars finally reunite on a bridge across the Milky Way. For Keiko, her mama, and her grandmother, Tanabata is about making tanzaku wishes, taking in the colorful decorations, and eating delicious food like nagashi somen and shaved ice. But when Obasaan gets lost in the crowd, Keiko and Mama must make their own bridge to find her again--and see if their tanzaku comes true.

2021 Freeman Book Awards Honorable Mention - Children's Literature The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College STARRED REVIEW "Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun...An exquisite choice for all collections."--School Library Journal starred reviewA multigenerational retelling of a Japanese legend. Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, celebrates a popular folktale: The Emperor of the Heavens separates his daughter, Orihime, from her love, Hikoboshi, all year--but on this day the two stars finally reunite on a bridge across the Milky Way. For Keiko, her mama, and her grandmother, Tanabata is about making tanzaku wishes, taking in the colorful decorations, and eating delicious food like nagashi somen and shaved ice. But when Obasaan gets lost in the crowd, Keiko and Mama must make their own bridge to find her again--and see if their tanzaku comes true.