Grandmothers Galore!

When a mysterious yellow envelope, addressed to “the greatest grandmother in the world,” arrives at a care home for the elderly, each grandmother insists it belongs to her. For days, they keep an eye on the envelope sitting prominently on the table, sneaking peaks and trying to spy on its contents. Considering that it might be a birthday card, the grandmothers realize it is no one’s current birthday in the care home, but having a birthday party seems like a great idea. The envelope remains at the forefront of their considerations as they prepare invitations for their grandchildren and decorate for the party. Finally, one of the children spots the card and brings it to its proper recipient, but, after much discussion, they decide to put it back in its envelope to ensure that all the grandmothers continue to feel special. The group decides to start a new tradition of a regular “yellow envelope party”, even if it means finding more to disagree about.

Lighthearted and fun, Grandmothers Galore! will be sure to delight young readers. The book features a multicultural group of grandmothers, from an Abuela to a Bibi to a Nai Nai, and delivers the message that grandmothers are loving, gentle, empathetic – and occasionally feisty. Readers will see life in a care home – from exercise classes to seated dinners to planned events. The illustrations, done in block printmaking, complement the text with delightfully colourful objects and figures with a multitude of expressions. Much appreciated is the explanation on the copyright page of artistic technique utilized in the book. Grandmothers Galore! is a must-have for all children’s collections.