Winsome Bingham on On Fridays, Honoring Elders, Grief, and Giving People Their Flowers
About this episode
Annisha Jeffries interviews Winsome Bingham about her picture book 'On Fridays' and discusses themes of grief, community, and honoring elders.
Show Notes Reading in the Middle with Annisha Jeffries In this heartfelt episode of Reading in the Middle , Annisha Jeffries welcomes author Winsome Bingham to talk about her upcoming picture book, On Fridays , illustrated by Jason Griffin and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House. On Fridays follows Jamar, a young boy who spends Fridays with his mother at the residential building where she works. What begins as a weekly routine becomes something much deeper: a story about elders, community, caregiving, grief, memory, and learning how to keep loving someone after they are gone. Annisha and Winsome talk about the powerful line at the center of the book: “We amongst family. Treat them as such.” They discuss Jamar’s relationships with Miss Neely, Mr. Dillon, and Mr. Riff; the importance of honoring elders as whole people; and how Miss Neely’s garden becomes a place of memory and healing. This conversation also explores how children understand grief, why picture books can help families talk about loss, and what it means to give people their flowers while they are still here. Winsome also shares more about this exciting season in her career, including recent and upcoming books…
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