I Hate Borsch!
By Yevgenia Nayberg
The Story
A young girl in Ukraine refuses to eat borsch, no matter how hard the grandmothers of Kiev try to persuade her — but after immigrating to America, she finds herself missing the very soup she once despised.
Why It's Special
For the kid who turns up their nose at grandma's cooking now but might feel differently about it someday, this book sits right in that tension between rejecting and missing where you come from.
- Big idea: The foods we resist as children often become the ones we ache for later — heritage has a way of finding us again.
- Vibes: witty, wistful, visually bold with streaks of beet-red
Perfect For Kids Who
- are working on trying new foods without pressure
- enjoy strong-willed, opinionated characters
- are curious about family history and where they came from
- respond well to stories that mix humor with deeper feelings
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & problem-solving: Why do you think the girl kept refusing borsch even when all the grandmothers of Kiev tried to change her mind?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think she felt when American food left her feeling empty?
- Real-life connection: Is there a food from your family that you used to dislike but feel differently about now?
- Imagination: What do you think she found when she opened that old suitcase full of recipes?
- Identity & heritage: Why do you think finding the recipes made her want to give borsch another chance?
