Tag Archives: Grandparent and Child

Elem. – Nana’s New Soul Food

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Power, Will. Nana’s New Soul Food: Discovering Vegan Soul Food. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-62539-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

An unnamed African-American boy narrates this positive tale of his grandma’s medically necessary dietary changes. Though he loves her “soul food,” he is committed to finding “new soul food” for her, and so, with his mother, they scour the West End market to find treasures.  They purchase foods like wraps stuffed with couscous and kale; mushroom gravy; nut blend cheese; veggie burgers; air-popped fries; juice; various fruits, and even donuts. The boy’s belief in the food choices quietly grows from “So much healthy food/(Momma says delicious food–I say healthy food)/in the West End” to subtle but important change of “So much healthy good/(Momma says healthy food–I say delicious food)/in the West End.” The reader, like the boy, may feel the same way. The illustrations show vendors with various colorful foods, and the boy’s hopefulness is apparent as they share the foods, and finally, hugs with his grandma. Readers will be left feeling that changes are possible with the support of family. 

THOUGHTS: Excellent pairing of author and illustrator work to present an uplifting and colorful story. This could be used to discuss what ‘healthy’ means and how diet is influenced by family.  

Picture Book

Elem. – Like So

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Forman, Ruth. Like So. Little Simon, 2024. 978-1-665-91754-4.  Unpaged. $18.99. Grades Pre-K-2.

“We got love like so” proclaims this book, celebrating the love of family, particularly the love between a grandmother and her grandchild. “I kiss you like so/you kiss me like so/I hug you like so/you hug me like so.” An African-American grandma and grandchild are seen baking together, saying goodnight, and refreshingly, walking and exploring the outdoors in various seasons. This outdoor shift enables Forman to compare human love to the moon, the waves, trees, chickadees, night sky, star glow, etc. Watercolors of various hues both elevate and soften the moments shared, and the illustrations perfectly convey the adoration between these two.

THOUGHTS: This is a marvelous book to share at bed-time or with students while considering what makes us feel loved, and how we can share that with others. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar

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Hassani, Mojdeh, and Samira Iravani. Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-11061-4. $18.99. 40 pages. Grades PK-2.

Samira is a sweet young girl who is heading out to the bazaar in Tehran for the very first time, accompanied by her beloved grandmother. Samir is nervous. What will the bazaar be like? Will it be crowded? Loud? Samira begs to wrap up in her grandmother’s chador, where she will be safe and comfortable. Grandmother gently amuses Samira by explaining that wrapped in the chador with the girl, the two would look like a turtle, a kangaroo, even a giraffe. Grandmother recommends instead that the two hold hands and stick close together to get the shopping done. Samira is no longer afraid.

THOUGHTS: This mother-daughter author team wanted to write a children’s book demystifying the veil. In the author notes each describes their own memories of playing within the loving warmth and comfort of their grandmother’s chador as children. The book depicts a beautiful grandparent relationship full of love and wisdom. While amusing her young charge, the grandmother distracts Samir with comical descriptions to ease her fears. Gentle, delightful illustrations by Maya Fidawi.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Treasure Box

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Keane, David. The Treasure Box. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2022. 978-1-984-81318-3. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

A young girl enjoys collecting found objects outside and sharing them with her grandfather. She keeps them in a special wooden box with a latch. When he comes to visit, they look over the items and often go out looking for more. Her grandfather’s health goes into a decline, and eventually he is hospitalized. One day her parents share the sad news that her grandfather has died. At the funeral home, the young girl looks at the pictures of her grandfather when he was young and says her goodbyes. At home, she does not open the treasure box because she knows it will make her sad. After a while, her grandmother, now alone, comes to visit. She gives her granddaughter some things her grandad wanted her to have from their treasure hunts: his blue cap, his magnifying glass, and his watch. Grandmother and granddaughter share their grief as they examine the contents of the box. Eventually the pair goes out hunting for new objects together. Bell uses scanned textures and digital collage to create warm, touching, and engaging illustrations. This technique allows the items to stand out, especially on the page with the snakeskin and the parachutist. The message from this moving story is best summed up on the back cover- “Time with grandparents is the greatest treasure of all.”

THOUGHTS: This picture book handles the experiences of loss and grief in a sensitive way that is accessible to young children. It shows that the connection between grandparents-grandchild remains strong even after death. This is a must-have for all elementary libraries.

Picture Book          Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member

Elem. – The Birthday of the World

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Remen, Rachel Naomi. The Birthday of the World. Illustrated by Rachell Sumpter. Cameron Kids, 2022. 978-1-951-83634-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 3-5.

Detailed watercolor illustrations are the star of this picture book which shares Neh-shuma-leh’s grandfather’s stories of the birth of the world. Beginning with beautiful endpages that reveal a large building, gives readers a glimpse into windows where people are doing different things on a dark snowy night. When the world was born out of darkness, “sparks fell into everyone and everything.” Grandfather’s message is that “We were all born because we can each find the spark of light that is hidden,” and we can nurture these sparks and “help [them] grow bigger and shine more brightly.” Clever readers will intuit that light represents each individual’s gifts. The grandfather and granddaughter cue as Jewish, but diverse individuals are shown throughout the book. An author’s note elaborates on how the author’s grandfather told her this story, and now she shares it with readers.

THOUGHTS: Recommended for elementary collections looking to add representation to their collection featuring grandparents, storytelling, or Jewish stories.

Picture Book          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Elem. – Every Dog in the Neighborhood

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Stead, Philip C. Every Dog in the Neighborhood. Neal Porter Books. 978-0-823-44427-4. 48 p. $18.99. Grades K-5. 

Louis and Grandma are walking through their urban neighborhood when Louis mentions his desire for a dog. Grandma says there are enough dogs in the neighborhood already, and that makes Louis wonder exactly how many dogs do live nearby. He decides to conduct his own census, going door-to-door and collecting information about how many dogs each neighbor has. During his interviews, he meets many dog breeds as well as a diverse group of neighbors. While Louis is gathering his information, Grandma is busy with a project of her own: turning an overgrown lot into a neighborhood dog park. This story bursts with go-getter spirit, and readers will cheer for both Louis and Grandma as they each work to build connections and make their neighborhood a better place. 

THOUGHTS: This book has some civic tie-ins, as both Louis and Grandma write letters to City Hall, and the replies they receive inspire them to action. It also features characters canvassing a neighborhood, compiling data, and working toward causes they believe in. The idea that you’re never too young or too old to make a difference in the world shines through, and readers will love picking out each of the dogs and their owners as they all enjoy the new dog park on the final spread. 

Picture Book          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD