Dear Grandma

October 15, 2020
Celebrating the mutual-admiration society of grandmothers and grandchildren. This upbeat text has the tone of an expanded greeting card. It begins with a child writing a note to Grandma ("Do you know you're the best?") and then continues to show how grandmothers offer unconditional love and acceptance in myriad magical and practical ways. The text's sentiments are clear even when the sentence structure is not: "You're grab pots and pans, / let's make a band, / cheer up and bake / a rainy Saturday cake...." In this illustration, a grandma frosts a cake while singing into a wooden-spoon microphone; one grandchild pretends to strum a broom while two younger kids bang pots and pans. The whole family has brown skin and puffy black hair. It's not all boisterousness. "Take a walk so we can talk, / hold my hand and understand / that sometimes things don't go as planned." Here, a young child with black braids walks with a grandma (rather improbably) wearing both a hijab and a bindi; both have brown skin. Bright cartoon illustrations of racially diverse generations show grandmothers and grandchildren actively swinging through a jungle and challenging a dragon as well as quietly engaging in pep talks and enjoying a seaside visit complete with sand castle building. Blank pages invite readers to add their own thoughts and pictures about grandma. A thank-you note from grandchildren to grandmothers. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-A love letter to grandmothers everywhere. The author and the illustrator want to convey that the connection between grandchildren and grandmothers isn't like anything else, the bond growing through every season, and lasting a lifetime. A grandma is there to take a child on an imaginative adventure on a magic carpet and make that grandchild feel better when something sad happens. The colorfully sketched scenes are digitally brought to life, showing a group of grandmothers and their grandchildren in many skin tones, all manner of dress and hairstyle, and settings from cozy baking to an expansive outdoors. The text uses rhythm and vocabulary to highlight the love that can be found in families. Although the picture book would be difficult for young readers, it's perfect for story times. VERDICT A heartwarming book that's on the sentimental side but still honors the many kinds of grandmothers and their important roles. -Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Reynoldsburg, OH

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