Today's read is all about grandmothers. This is series devoted to the warmth and love that grandmothers give...and I can't remember running across a series like that before. Plus, telling by the cover, these are grandmothers, who enjoy life. Since grandmothers are special (I know mine were), I was more than excited to take a peek.
THE RACE
The Grands
by Suzette Perez-Tate &
Anisa Delaluz
Illustrated by Hayley Moore
Kate Butler Books
Picture Book
29 pages
ages 4 to 8
Created by Suzette Perez-Tate and co-authored by Anisa Delaluz, The Grands is a children’s book series intended to break stereotypes of what it means to be a grandparent in the 21st century. Today’s Grand is active, career-minded, stylish, and tech-savvy while still maintaining the age-old essence of being a grandparent. This series will also feature the role Great Grandparents, Great Aunts & Uncles have in a child’s life. Many stories will be told focusing on these intergenerational relationships showcasing a diverse variety of families. The series hopes that many families will see themselves as they read the many adventures of the Grands and their grandchildren!
AND...
TIME WITH MY GRAND
The Grands
The Grands are back in this second installment of The Grands Modern Day Grandparent series. Narrated by each of the grandchildren, get to know The Grands a little better with this heartwarming account and see the many ways modern day grandmothers show up in their family's lives.
MY TIDBITS
This celebration of grandmothers settles perfectly into modern-day flair and lets the warming relationship between grandmothers and their grandkids shine.
This series is all about grandmothers...and not the traditional image, either. These grandmothers pack spunk and life. There are six, and they are best friends despite being, in many senses, as different as can be. Their grandchildren, one for each grandmother, show-off their grandmothers with pride and warmth. Each one has a special relationship with their grandmother, and this love and care radiates from every page.
The illustrations are nicely done and let each scene carry color and energy. These grandkids and their grandmothers are quite active, and the scenes let that come across well. They are positive and familiar, making each one fun to discover as the story is being read.
The text is age appropriate but works best as a read-aloud until readers are very sure of their words. While the first book takes an original twist of a fund-raising marathon to introduce each grandmother (each who is called by a different name: Nana, Glamma, Mimi, etc), the second incorporates the reader, every now and then, with a question about their own grandmother. Both books end with a short 'thought' question, where readers get a chance to describe and introduce their own grandmother.
I appreciate how this series takes a step away from the traditional image of a grandmother and displays the more familiar reality. The diversity angle also adds a fun touch, since it shows how different each grandmother is, while still holding the same loving relationship. It's a very positive series and a lovely way to celebrate grandmothers.
And here they are...
Suzette Perez-Tate is a proud modern-day grandmother from Southern California. She and her husband have a blended family and share five children, five grandchildren, and a black Labrador retriever named Bentley Boo. Suzette noticed that none of the books she was reading to her grandchildren reflected their relationship. For starters, the grandparents in the stories did not look like her, act like her, and were often sick or dying. She had a revelation and created The Grand! It is Suzette’s hope that many families will see themselves when reading the many adventures of the Grands and their grandchildren.
Anisa Delaluz grew up believing her grandmothers were Superwomen. She watched them take on the world with loving grace. She is fortunate to have one of them still around, helping her navigate through life. As she was earning her BA in Screenwriting from Chapman University, her grandmothers were cheering her on all the way. Anisa is not a Grand yet, but she hopes to be one day.
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