About the Author

Margaret Wild is a children's book editor as well as an acclaimed writer for children. She currently lives in Australia.

JULIE VIVAS is illustrator of I Went Walking, Let's Go Visiting, the Mem Fox classics Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and Possum Magic, and several other picture book titles. Her distinctive watercolor style has delighted many children for many years. She lives in Australia.

Reviews

"From the intimacy of one family to the rich diversity of all kinds of people, this exuberant picture book celebrates grandmothers, and it does so without earnest messages or reverential role models . . . Grannies can be glamorous, cuddly, vain, or outrageous. . . . This is what family values is all about." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review --

PreS-K-``Some grannies live in...apartments, big old houses, old people's homes, little rooms in the city, trailers.... Our granny lives with us in our house.'' Grandmotherly characteristics (interesting hair, crinkly eyes, friendly smiles); clothing (blue jeans, silky dresses, big bras, high heels); occupations (driving a truck, plumbing, working in an office); and ways of kissing (big sloppy ones, none at all) are catalogued. Eight to ten possibilities alternate with the comfortable, one-sentence statements of two children about their own relative. The lists are varied enough to stimulate the imagination and, combined with the return to a personal point of view, avoid the dullness often found in repetitive formats. The text is large and clear. Vivas's translucent watercolor figures, surrounded by ample white space, spread over the pages and emphasize shape and movement. The perspectives are interesting-Granny marching in a demonstration is seen from above; there is a closeup of the heads and shoulders of three pursed-lipped grandmothers, one kissing the cheek of a delighted toddler. A variety of women-black, white, hip, punk, and traditional-are depicted with warmth and humor, yet all have a lumpy, rounded, saggy-baggy appearance. An affectionate book that affirms the endless diversity of people, life styles, and families.-Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY