Sourgrass by Hope Lim, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydari; Beach Lane Books, 2024.

Sofia and May forge their friendship as they play in the wildflowers beyond their yards. How their relationship evolves when May moves away makes for a sweet and hopeful story just right for primary graders.

Why this book? Why will it matter to kids?

Friendship is a universal theme for all grade levels, but how kids approach, manage, and navigate the ups and downs and unforeseen circumstances that impact relationships varies with age, maturity, and understanding. Sourgrass takes young listeners on a journey from the joy of true friendship to sadness at loss, and ultimately to promises fulfilled. Hope Lim achieves this with a relatable and satisfying story. The art, rendered in chalk pastel and watercolor is bright, soft, and dreamy, reflecting the story line and adding dimension to the theme of hope.

Levels and Layers of Learning

Grade level: K-3

Social-Emotional Learning Themes

Acceptance, compassion, concern, connection, conservation, courage, creativity, curiosity, dedication, empathy, empowerment, encouragement, fortitude, friendship, generosity of spirit, gratitude, generosity of spirit, hope, inspiration, integrity, kindness, loyalty, perspective, resilience, respect, responsibility, relationship skills, self-assurance, self-awareness, self-management, self-reliance, social awareness, understanding

Content Area Connections: Social-Emotional Learning, Natural Science

Using This Book in the Classroom

Hit the Ground Running Ready Resources for Educators, Homeschoolers, and Parents

Learn more about Hope Lim and her books on her website.

Activites for Sourgrass

Illustration © Shahrzad Maydani

Write Away! Ideas to prompt writing

May and Sofia are best friends. Sofia can count on May to show up. May can count on Sofia to wait for her. Tell about your best friend. What makes your friendship special?

May and Sophia like to have fun in their yards and in the wildflowers beyond. Describe a place where you play with your friends and tell why it is special.

May and Sophia roll down hills and race through the fields of sourgrass. What do you like to do with your best friend?

After May moves away, the sourgrass brings back special memories for Sofia. What is a favorite memory you have of a friend?

Have you ever had a friend who moved away? Tell about the experience.

What is your favorite illustration in the book? Why?

Poetry Break Related poetry to recite before or following the reading of this book

Poetry breaks fit perfectly into the framework of the school day. These brief moments can signal change, smooth or frame transitions—from beginning or ending the day to lining up for lunch; from zipping up backpacks and jackets to shifting from one subject to the next. Poetry breaks can reset mood or tone, providing a moment to pause, reflect, and breathe. Reading a poem aloud typically takes less than a minute, yet it can introduce or reinforce a concept, provide clarity, celebrate language, exemplify rhythm, enhance vocabulary, expand understanding, increase attention span, initiate reflection, spark imagination, or simply summon a giggle. And, poetry soothes and strengthens the spirit.

“Poetry builds resilience in kids and adults; it fosters Social and Emotional Learning. A well-crafted phrase or two in a poem can help us see an experience in an entirely new way.” ~  Elena Aguilar

Poetry books about friendship: 

• Friends and Foes: Poems About Us All by Douglas Florian
• Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton; see especially “Waiting for Friends,” “Summer Loves,” and “You.”

And Then There’s This…
Enrichment activities, related books, online resources, craft projects, and ideas for further study

Learn about sourgrass, or wild sorrel, and find images.

Related Books of Interest

The following picture books explore various aspects of friendship:

• A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
• Be A Friend by Salina Yoon
• Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein
• Being Friends by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Joy Allen
• Circle Round by Anne Sibley O’Brien, illustrated by Hanna Cha (see Children’s Book Corner blog post)
• Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi
• Elmore and Pinky by Holly Hobbie
• Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
• How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson
• I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About A Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët
• Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo
• Making a Friend by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
• Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
• Two Speckled Eggs by Jennifer K. Mann

Also by Hope Lim

Meet the Author

Hope Lim

Hope Lim is a children’s book author living in San Francisco with her family. Born and raised in South Korea, Hope discovered the world of children’s literature as a mother reading books to her kids. She was drawn to the power of picture books where art and words, two things she loves, are matched perfectly, evoking profound emotions in readers. She is the author of I Am a Bird illustrated by Hyewon Yum, My Tree illustrated by Il Sung Na, Mommy’s Hometown illustrated by Jaime Kim, and Sourgrass illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. Learn more on Hope’s website. 

Backstory: Q & A with Hope Lim

Hope Lim writes thoughtful books. Her most recent, Sourgrass, evocatively portrays an array of emotions connected to friendship and the loss of a friend due to a move. Her story is full of light and hope and warmth. It is my pleasure to introduce Hope and her books to you here at the Children’s Book Corner.

Judy Bradbury: Tell us about this project: What seeded its creation? How did you conceive of the story’s arc? What inspired the conclusion?

Hope Lim: The idea for Sourgrass came to me when I spotted the single stem of sourgrass poking through the tiniest crack in our fence. Its five leaves were in my yard, and the stem and roots were in our neighbor’s yard. Right away, I pondered about its meaning and named it ‘hope,’ after noticing how the way it grew through the fence, a wall of separation, seemed to showcase nature’s wonderous power of making the impossible possible. From there, I created a story about two best friends whose special memories help them stay connected during a trying time. The conclusion was inspired by my habit of finding comfort and signs of hope in nature.

JB: How did you land on sourgrass as both the spark of the girls’ friendship and the book’s title?

HL: I was drawn to the fact that sourgrass is a wild flower that returns every spring, a sure sign of trust in nature, and I wanted to connect that with trust in friends. A wildflower also symbolizes resilience, strength, and hope, all of which can describe the characteristics of friendship. There is an unbound sense of freedom in the way Sofia and May play in the wild fields of sourgrass, and that’s the feeling I get whenever I look back on my childhood, a period of my life free of worries. At the same time, their friendship story and memories are sweet with a bit of sadness, all captured perfectly in the title, Sourgrass.

Illustration © Shahrzad Maydani

JB: The text is spare but tells a full, rich story. Tell us about your process of writing Sourgrass.

HL: Drawing out inspirations from my personal experiences and living through the emotions from certain times always helps me with writing. For Sourgrass, I looked back on parting with friends, unexpected changes, and my way of coping and staying optimistic by finding a sign of hope in nature.

I write as ideas and images come to me. My first complete draft of around 500 words comes only after I write thousands of words in a single file for months. From there, I revise over and over until I feel it’s ready to share with my critique partners. For me, making a story work is like a repeating a process of getting lost, finding a way out, getting lost again, and finding another, new way out.

JB: Tell about one hurdle you experienced in the creation of Sourgrass, or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the writing of the book.

HL: One of the hurdles I had with Sourgrass was that in the beginning, everything happened in the backyard, which was similar to my other book, My Tree. Then as I tried to make sourgrass a central part of the relationship between Sofia and May, I had this idea of two friends getting out of their routine and finding something new and exciting. That’s when the idea of a wild field, full of possibilities, came in, in part inspired by my encounter of the wild field of sourgrass while running.

JB: What is one unexpected joy that came from the creation of Sourgrass?

HL: An unexpected joy was how the theme of memories from Sourgrass manifested itself in real life. Whenever I turn the pages, I see where I worked with my wonderful editor, Danielle Collins, to create emotional depth in the story. I still remember our exchanges, and my share of brooding over expressions and word choice. These memories come alive whenever I see the text where we worked together. Then there are other memories I used for the story, and they come to life, too, in the same way spring brings memories, promises, and hope, figuratively and in real life. I think this is joy that I did not anticipate in a concrete form, and now I’m cherishing it each time I look at Sourgrass and whenever I see sourgrass blooming in the wild.

JB: What would surprise readers to learn about you or about the writing of Sourgrass?

HL: I think readers will be surprised when Sofia makes an unexpected discovery on her own in the story. Sofia’s discovery of a replica of the wild field leads her to discover something she needs to stay hopeful and keep her trust in May.

JB: What do you hope young listeners and readers will take away from Sourgrass?

HL: I love how spring returns every year with so much hope and promise. In Sourgrass, a story of return and renewal, Sofia learns to live in hope, trusting that what she loves will eventually return and appreciating her friendship with May. I think hope and trust go together, and like Sofia, I want readers to feel hopeful and optimistic in a difficult time of inevitable changes, such as parting with a friend. Sofia rises above the uncertainty and doubt brought by distance and finds a way to keep her trust in May and their friendship. I wanted to write a story where this take on the world prevails and gets rewarded in the end.

JB: Who do you perceive your target audience to be and why?

HL: Anyone who experiences moving away or parting with friends but still has memories to hold onto. Memories are one way to stay connected with time and people in the past.

JB: What need(s) does this story satisfy?

HL: The importance of keeping trust in friends and living in hope in times of uncertainty.

JB: How do you see Sourgrass connecting to curriculum or being used in schools or learning settings?

HL: Sourgrass can spark a discussion on students’ experiences with friends or even favorite things that are lost. It also encourages students to share ways to keep trust in friends, and what makes them feel happy about their best friends or if there is anything that reminds them of their close friends.

Students can also learn about the wild plant, sourgrass, also known as wood sorrel.

JB: What project(s) are you currently working on?

HL: I’m working on a project on how to be the good friend we wish for ourselves.

Meet the Illustrator of Sourgrass

Learn more about Shahrzad Maydani and find her on Instagram.

Sidebar Spotlight New releases of note

Each month I receive several boxes of books to review from various publishers. As I read and peruse the books, I place them in two piles: those that I will consider featuring on the blog, and those that don’t fit the mission or theme of Children’s Book Corner blog for whatever reason. I highlight some of the books in the “possible” pile on Mondays (most weeks) on Instagram. Ultimately, I choose the one new release I will feature on my monthly blog post. Yet there are many terrific books I wish I could give a shout-out to, even if I can’t write an entire post about each one. So, Sidebar Spotlight is a means of giving a nod to new releases that, in my opinion, are noteworthy. I’ve linked each title to Bookshop so you can learn more. Happy reading, friends! And feel free to comment on these or other new books below.

Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo is a highly recommended read aloud for primary grades. Millie is adjusting to a new family situation and a new home. As she navigates her feelings and grapples with shyness, a wise and patient mom, a rescue pup, and new experiences lead to fresh beginnings and welcome possibilities.

Small Things Mended by Casey W. Robinson and illustrated by Nancy Whitesides is a lovely story about the impact of kindness given and received, and its ripple effect reaching far and boomeranging back. Soft art created with gouache, crayons, pencils, and digital media perfectly complements the expertly crafted, gentle message. Highly recommended for reading aloud with Grades 1-3.

This Is Not My Lunch Box! is written by author, educator, and community volunteer, Jennifer Dupuis who is blind and actively serves others with disabilities; art is by Carol Schwartz, who has illustrated over 50 books for children. Bright, closeup illustrations on each spread draw the child in as they explore and guess whose lunch box it might be in this delightfully fresh and informative pick for primary kids.

News, Updates, & Items of Interest

I’m looking forward to the following upcoming events this spring and summer:

On May 18th I’m participating in the Children’s Book Fest being held at Wood Library in Canandaigua, NY. The book fair is small but mighty, suffused with incredible energy, an array of hands-on activities, and a palpable love of children’s books. I’m delighted to be part of the event again this year.

I’m honored to have been invited to read aloud from my books to kids as part of the Celebrity Readers Event taking place on June 29th at Canalside in Buffalo. Oolala!! 

You can always find where my books and I will be on my Events page.

I’m now booking school visits for 2024-25! Find information and contact me to discuss a visit tailored to meet your school’s needs.

Read-aloud of a portion of Cayuga Island Kids Book 2, The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek

Readers Theatehttps://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncbr, complete with props! 

Find my books packaged as a series at your favorite bookshop or purchase directly from the publisher and receive a gift with purchase! Individual titles are also available in hard, softcover, and e-book versions.

Kindness tip: If you read and like a book, consider posting a review on GoodReads, social media, or on Amazon (if you bought it there). Authors and illustrators appreciate the shout-out. Even a one-sentence comment increases visibility of a book. Also consider placing a request with your local library to purchase a copy–another free way to support a book you recommend!

Children’s Book Corner will be on hiatus for the summer break. Look for monthly posts to resume in late August.

Wishing you restorative, summery moments filled with precious memories and plenty of time to read, read, read! 

Over to You…

Join the conversation! Offer your thoughts on this featured prompt related to this month’s post:

What book about friendship do you recommend for young readers and listeners? Share the title, author, and illustrator in the comments section.

You are also welcome to post a general comment.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Final Thought