Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!
Picture books aren’t just for children. Picture books are for grown-ups too! Listen in as we speak with picture book authors, illustrators, and enthusiasts about how these stories contribute to human thriving. Discover how picture books can affirm our experiences, introduce us to new perspectives, serve as conversation starters, foster meaningful reflection, and give us words to make sense of the world! Ultimately, you’re never too old for a great picture book AND these tiny tales can lead to big connection! Join us for the journey, and discover something that might contribute to YOUR thriving.
Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!
S2E7 | Roohi Choudhry and 'Memory Garden' (written by Zohreh Ghahremani and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani)
“It’s a sense of feeling seen and understood which is one of the big things we are all seeking.” –Roohi Choudhry
Today we’re talking the power of stories to help us feel seen, how the place where we are can return us to places in our memory, and how we might claim our own ancestors.
Today’s Picture Book: Memory Garden written by Zohreh Ghahremani and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
Roohi Choudhry is a writer, teaching artist, and researcher who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Pakistan and raised in southern Africa, she holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship and residencies at Hedgebrook and Djerassi. She worked as a researcher in criminal justice reform and public health, wrote for the United Nations, and facilitates creative writing workshops for interfaith groups, schools, libraries, and community organizations. Her stories and essays have appeared in Ploughshares, Callaloo, Longreads, and the Kenyon Review. Her debut novel, Outside Women (University Press of Kentucky, March 2025), was named one of the "most anticipated feminist books of 2025" by Ms. Magazine and described as “riveting… an incisive story of how change happens” by Publishers’ Weekly.
Book Description: A lively afternoon together in Nana’s garden is full of laughter, discovery, and connection. In lyrical text that blends past and present, Memory Garden takes us to the places we leave behind but never forget.
Written and illustrated by a loving mother daughter duo, the nostalgic text and vibrant illustrations invite us to enjoy the beauty of Iranian gardens – and culture - in an adventure that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
Please consider supporting your local independent booksellers by purchasing Memory Garden. Find a store here: https://www.indiebound.org/
Other Mentions:
Outside Women by Roohi Choudhry, her debut novel! Get your copy today :).
Making Picture Book Magic with Susanna Leonard Hill
Questions/Activities for further engagement based on the discussion:
1) Go on a walk and be present to the sensory details and all the things we are absorbing of a place as we are moving through it. Make a list of what you notice or an artistic map. Then this will take us to our memories of other places.
2) When you are thinking about the place you are in right now, ask yourself, “What does this remind you of?” What places in memory are existing alongside the present moment. Talk with others about this.
Find Roohi:
Website: roohichoudhry.com
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Ripening Time, Patrice's 2nd picture book, releases April 22, 2025. Order your copy from your local bookstore or one of Patrice's local bookstores!
Also, please visit the podcast’s bookshop.org page for a complete list of books discussed!
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