A Century for Caroline

Tracing a matriarch’s birthday party through the eyes of a young attendee, Langley and Grooms craft a heartwarming story celebrating intergenerational bonds. Eagerly anticipating great-grandma Caroline’s 100th birthday, young Jasmine spends the trip there reflecting on her pets’ short lives compared to her relation’s century. When Jasmine asks the woman, “How did you get to be so old?” Great-Grandma Caroline teaches the child to skip rocks while explaining that “making one hundred years” takes patience, determination, and faith—values that ripple through the generations as Jasmine gets the hang of rock-skipping. Illustrations focus on the familial figures, capturing the joy of celebrating life’s milestones. Jasmine and her family are portrayed with brown skin; background characters are shown with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (May)