My grandmother passed away eight years ago, and although it has been a while, her memory is still vivid with me. I love “Grandma According to Me” as it is told through the eyes of a young girl, and it so closely echoes the thoughts and feelings I have about my own grandmother.
We read that Grandma has a nice big lap, and she can hold two children in it at the same time, but our narrator likes it best when she has Grandma all to herself. Grandma’s lap is as soft as a pillow, and there aren’t any places that poke when you sit close to her. Grandma says she’s fat, but she’s really more round than fat. (Isn’t a child’s perception wonderful? It’s true that plump people are more comfortable to snuggle with.)
Grandma has a soft sweet voice and it’s fun to listen while she reads. Her voice is mellow and sweet, like honey or like music.
Grandma is also the world’s best cookie maker, and any cookies that get broken are up for grabs. Somehow lots of cookies get broken, accidentally.
Grandma has a drawer in her room that’s full of old jewelry and other stuff that’s fun for dress-up. You can pretend to be anything you want to be with the things from that drawer, even a bride. Grandma says the stones are all fake, but that doesn’t keep them from being beautiful.
Grandma’s face has lots of wrinkles, but they’re really story lines. Every wrinkle has a story behind it. She puts lots of cream and lotion on her face, trying to make the wrinkles go out, but her face would lose so much character if they did leave. She says she’s gotten even more wrinkles since her grandchildren came around, but those are all smile lines.
I loved the way this book models respect and appreciation for our grandparents. This is a sweet story and it brought back many happy memories to me.
(This book was published in 1992 by Doubleday and was illustrated by Ted Rand.)
Related Blogs:
The Picture Books of Barbara M. Joose