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GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY WISH
Gryn, Goldie Olszynko
Reviewed by Norma Charles
Volume 22 Number 1
This book would have made a grand greeting card, but an example of excellent children's literature it is not. Grandma's birthday wish is that she spend a day with her granddaughter as a little girl herself. A very pleasant thought from a grandmothers perspective, but I'm not sure from a child's. In this book of rhyming verse we are told about a grandma joining her granddaughter on a short escape into what the author perceives as the world of children. They traipse around the garden, fill a pool with water, linger in a tent, soar through the air as dragons, meet some crazy creatures, and in the end the grandma eats her birthday cake with her fingers. This slight story-line lacks the necessary ingredients for a good story. It has no substantial plot, no conflict, characterization, atmosphere, or true, honest fun. The book looks attractive with its sunny, full-colour illustrations, bright yellow hard cover, quality paper, and secure binding. It is obviously an expensive effort for a small publisher like Polestar. It's unfortunate the publishers could not have chosen a more worthwhile project upon which to have spent their small reserve of funds. Regretfully, I do not recommend this title for purchase.
Norma Charles is a teacher-librarian at Henderson A nex School in Vancouver, British Columbia
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