A pair of picture books celebrates how love is expressed through continuity and change in the families of two young girls, one Anglo (Cherry Pies and Lullabies) and one Latina (Tortillas and Lullabies = Tortillas y cancioncitas). Four brief vignettes in each book describe the way distinct traditions and activities are carried out from generation to generation in the child narrators' families, beginning with each girl's great grandmother interacting with her child--the girl's grandmother--and ending with the child herself, who continues the tradition in play activities with a favorite toy. Cherry Pies and Lullabies is illustrated by Reiser in bright watercolors and black pen and filled with elements of Americana, most notably the quilts, all of which are variations of the American quilt pattern "Cherry Basket." "Corazones Valientes," a Costa Rican collective of six women artists, created the lush, richly colored acrylic artwork set in South America for Tortillas and Lullabies. An author's note in Cherry Pies explains that the book was written for the Reiser's niece, to show her how much has changed over time, but also to affirm what has stayed true even in the midst of such change. After talking about that book with a friend from El Salvador, Reiser conceived Tortillas and Lullabies, realizing that families around the world are finding new ways to do old things, while the expressions of love at the heart of their actions remains constant. (Ages 4-8)

Here is a book about everyday love and how one family expresses it. Four generations of mothers and daughters share family traditions that are the same but become slightly different as the times change. And whether they are sharing cherry pies or quilts or lullabies, what matters is that it is done with unconditional love. Lynn Reiser has created this spectacular picture book -- and its English-Spanish companion, "Tortillas and Lullabies, Tortillas y cancioncitas" -- for all families to read and share.