You probably have some kind of celebration for Grandparents’ Day at your school. At my school, grandparents come visit and each classroom has something special for them. In a couple of classrooms, the teachers check out a number of books about grandparents and the grandparents read to their grandchildren.
So, last year I was weeding out books and discarded a number of them that were almost in tatters. The comment came, “You can’t get rid of these! We don’t have enough grandparent books as it is!” I decided to get rid of them anyway and replace them with new grandparent books. Here are some of my selections.
Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield. A young girl sees her grandfather’s face as he looks at her as very loving. One day he is practicing lines for a stage play and twists his face into an angry, mean face. She sees this and is afraid that he might look at her with that mad, angry face. Grandfather talks with her and explains that he will always love her no matter what.
I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal. When Billy Crystal’s daughter was expecting, he wrote this poem/book to welcome the new grandchild. The artwork is soft and beautiful. I bought this in paperback, but I wish I had known how beautiful it was so I could have chosen hard cover. Be warned; you may tear up while reading this.
How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan. These books are just perfect for kids. The first couple of pages of the ‘grandpa’ one has these lines. “When your mom and dad leave, pat your grandpa’s hand and say, “Don’t worry. They always come back.” Then right away, ask him if he’s hungry. Snacks for a Grandpa: Ice cream topped with cookies, Olives served in fingertips, Anything dipped in ketchup, cookies topped with ice cream.” The end pages give tips on how to say goodbye to a grandpa: Surprise him with a picture, give him a hug and a kiss, a hug and an kiss, a hug and a kiss. Then ask, “When can I babysit you again?” You will enjoy these two titles.
Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements. The children visit their grandparents on a farm in this story. The first few pages say, “When you run into the pasture and step right into a big cowpie, and you yell GRANDMA! Your grandmother could say, I’m pretty sure I told you we have to watch where we walk around here! But she doesn’t. She gets the hose and sprays off your shoes. You put them on the fence to dry, and then go back inside for some clean socks . . . and your boots! That is the basic format. You (do something) and your grandparent could say . . . but he or she doesn’t. They (do something very helpful or kind) and the children are happy.
Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne. I am so glad I happened upon this book. It is the story of a little girl who is being raised by her grandparents, not her parents. There are many families who are in this particular situation and it is really nice to read a book that helps them know that they aren’t the only ones. If you only can get one of these books, I highly recommend this one.
I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen. This is similar to the Billy Crystal book above. A grandmother recounts the waiting for her grandchild to be born and when she finally gets to hold the baby, she says, “I am your grandma and I love you. I loved you before you were born.”
My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls. A young child tells what she and her Nana do. “My Nana and Me had a tea party and all my dolls came. We had tea and cake and ate and ate bread pudding and apple pie.” The illustrations are very sweet.
Bless Our Gramps and Gran by Mike Berenstain. If you like Berenstain Bears books, and they are very popular here, you will like this one about Gramps and Gran. This is the only book that actually talks about the official Grandparents’ Day in September. The cups decide to celebrate Grandparents’ Day with their Gramps and Gran. The family discusses the special day and reminisce about activities and special things they enjoy doing with their grandparents. The toy Noah’s Ark set that Gramps made for the cups brings a Biblical reference in the book. They talk about Noah and his family and the fact that Noah became a grandparent. The family researches in the Bible how many children and grandchildren Noah had. The cubs make a family tree of Noah’s family for their grandparents.
Have a great weekend!
Audrey
Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)
