When I Was a Pirate by Tom Silson
You can take When I Was a Pirate with you can take this book with a shot of rum and coke and say it is a true whale of a tail. Or you can believe that the grandfather has had some far out times in his life. I mean, does the grandfather in the story tell the truth? Was he a grand old pirate in his youth? (Tattoos seem to confirm this.) Or is he just diving deep into a bit of exaggeration? I would […]
Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanias
Are you close to your grandparents? Physically or spiritually? I was physically close to both sets of grandparents (one lived in the upper part of the house, the other about 20-30 minutes’ drive). Therefore, when kids would say, “I’m going to New Jersey for Christmas.” I was, “Huh? You mean you don’t put on a pair of pants and slippers and go upstairs?” After all, it was a big deal if we went to the other grandparent’s house (the drive) I mean we had to […]
Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate
I use the phrase “cozy read” a lot, but Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate is a cozy read. Even if it is not always a happy read. You could substitute any gender of the two grandfathers of the story, and you have “this” story, as the loss of a spouse or partner is universal. Everyone will grieve, everyone will remember the connections they had. I enjoyed how everything is just “normalized” and not “in your face” about the subject. The two grandfathers of the child […]
Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
The Gifts of Being Grand: For Grandparents Everywhere by Marianne Richmond
A short (all of two books) list of picture books follows this paragraph. Wait, is it a list if it is only two? Anyway, both books would be good for gifts to different people. The first one is a great gift for a child and the second, for grandparents. Your Name is a Song talks about how it can be difficult for a child who has a name that is difficult to pronounce. Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow shows how one mother shows her child how beautiful her […]
Roller Coaster Grandma: The Amazing Story of Dr. Ruth by Dr. Ruth Westheimer
I have a little soft spot for a sassy, Jewish-German doctor by the name of Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The fact that she was a bit controversial at the time (gasp! She’s talking about S-E-X!) flew over my head. But when a customer ordered two different books by Westheimer, I was interested. These were children’s books. What could she talk about? The first, was a picture book that I never looked at (Crocodile, You’re Beautiful! Embracing Our Strengths and Ourselves), but quickly skimmed Roller Coaster Grandma: […]
