"Kazemi’s illustrations have a soft, filmy quality that suits a story about memories ... The first-person narration, filled with childlike details and tender emotions, reinforces the equally childlike perspective of the delicate art."

- The Horn Book

"A universally relatable story that articulates a difficult concept for younger audiences, with a heartfelt message about loss and the memories of loved ones."

- Booklist - STARRED REVIEW

"The Sour Cherry Tree lives on beyond the page. From the expanse of grief to a message of hope, it embodies what the young girl perhaps most loved about her grandfather: that he loved her."

- Quill & Quire - STARRED REVIEW

"Deeply evocative ... A beautifully poignant celebration of memories of a loved one that live on in those that remain."

- Kirkus Reviews – STARRED REVIEW

"A portrait of a beloved grandfather who kept mints in his pockets, liked fig cookies, and 'spoke Farsi loudly but English quietly.'"

- Publishers Weekly

"This book gives voice to the hidden aspects of grief, the small token, the remembered word or gesture that defines memories. It’s an essential guide to mourning, in its earliest stages, for the young."

- School Library Journal - STARRED REVIEW

"[The Sour Cherry Tree] might help children and their parents to find some comfort in what's left behind."

- NPR

"A lovely addition to the canon of children’s picture books that deal with the death of a grandparent."

- Canadian Review of Materials

"The story takes a gentle look at loss and allows the narrator to speak freely about all she loved about her many visits with her grandfather."

- Sal's Fiction Addiction

"In Ms. Kazemi’s soft, cloudy pictures picked out with tiny details, the girl moves through the rooms of Baba Borzog’s house looking at his things ... In memory, she sees him as he was, with his wry, twinkling eyes under bushy brows and his determination always to wave goodbye until his family was out of sight."

- The Wall Street Journal