Young Xiao Le has not seen his grandmother in a long time, but when she becomes ill, the child and his mother journey by train to where she lives in Perfume Village to be by her side. The boy and grandmother spend tender moments together playing a simple game in the garden, looking at family photos and and sharing tea, all beautifully rendered in realistic illustrations. When his grandmother retires to bed, Xiao Le gives her his truck to sleep with. His grandmother dies after they return home, but Xiao Le uses his memories of the visit to comfort his mother in her grief.

Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Award 2016.

Author is from Taiwan.

China. Originally published in Chinese as Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village by China Children's Press and Publication Group in 2014. English translation by Huang Xiumin published in the United States by NorthSouth Books in 2015.

Xiao Le's grandmother lives in a faraway village. A visit with Grandma is always a special event, but this time she is frail. With encouragement from his mom, Xiao Le plays with and helps Grandma. When Grandma dies shortly thereafter, Xiao Le comforts his mom—reminding her that when it rains, Grandma is washing her clothes in the sky . . . and that although the Perfume Village in heaven cannot be reached by train, it can be accessed by the heart. Fang Suzhen’s moving story, with stunning illustrations by Sonja Danowski, is a powerful reminder that love transcends all.