Tasting Words

Illustrated by Sara Palacios
$5.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Nancy Paulsen Books
On sale Sep 29, 2026 | 9780593700068
Age 3-7 years
Sales rights: World

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A clever little girl figures out a way to help her grandmother assimilate and make friends in a new country through her love of food—because there’s nothing like food to turn strangers into friends!

When Ava arrives in the United States, she can’t speak English, and at first the words feel strange in her mouth, like a new flavor. But soon, thanks to school and new friends, the words start flowing. She worries about her grandmother, though. Bibi is at home cooking most of the day, and Ava doesn’t want her to be lonely.

Then Ava meets Lucie, whose French grandmother loves cooking as much as Bibi! So the girls hatch a plan, and soon Bibi and Mémé are bridging their language barriers with delicious food, sparking a friendship over new flavors and new words alike. Food truly is the universal language!

About

A clever little girl figures out a way to help her grandmother assimilate and make friends in a new country through her love of food—because there’s nothing like food to turn strangers into friends!

When Ava arrives in the United States, she can’t speak English, and at first the words feel strange in her mouth, like a new flavor. But soon, thanks to school and new friends, the words start flowing. She worries about her grandmother, though. Bibi is at home cooking most of the day, and Ava doesn’t want her to be lonely.

Then Ava meets Lucie, whose French grandmother loves cooking as much as Bibi! So the girls hatch a plan, and soon Bibi and Mémé are bridging their language barriers with delicious food, sparking a friendship over new flavors and new words alike. Food truly is the universal language!