So many children's books worship the very special relationship that young and old share. Perhaps this is because only the youngest and oldest of our society allow themselves to enjoy life without putting time-limits on the pleasures of experiences. Every year some of the most special books celebrate the link between young and old. This year celebrates the balance of give and take found in this amazing bond.
Nicola Moon's Lucy's Picture (Dial, $14.99; ages 4-8) shows the deep knowing that a very young child has for her grandfather. Lucy's joyous about her grandfather's impending visit and determined to make him a very special picture. When her teacher suggests bright colors, Lucy insists on making a collage, "plunging her hands deep into the scrap box and feeling with her eyes shut." It's not until the story's end that the exuberant Lucy places the story in her blind grandfather's hand, guides his fingers over her picture and with satisfaction he remarks, "It's the best picture I've ever seen."
Virginia Crewless Fireflies, Peach Pies and Lullabies (Simon and Schuster, $15.00; ages 5-8) has a young heroine who understands the heart of her Great- Granny Anabel and is able to help heal the adults around her when Anabel dies. The adults are worried that Francie will remember the vague memory-failed frail woman, but Francie remembers her "cotton-dress smell" and the snugness of the rainbow Afghan her granny made her. The adults cling to the sadness of funeral until Francie begins to ask them to contribute a written memory to her glass jar of remembrances, which later are read as a poetic collage that makes everyone feel as strongly as Francie always has.
Personal history opens doors to understanding in Marissa Moss' In America (Dial, $14.99; ages 4-8) as a young boy learns of the immigration of his Lithuanian grandfather. Examining a photo album, walking and talking becomes an adventure in story sharing where the grandfather reveals through his personal experiences the meaning of freedom, the newness of coming to a new country, the courage of risk taking, and the importance of remembering heritage. As the small boy listens, he applies his grandfather's learnings to his own life and vivid way story can teach.
Grandparents take center stage in two holiday stories that celebrate being together in a special season. For those who celebrate holidays with family and books, these are a great addition. Joan Rothenberg's Inside-Out Grandma: A Hanukkah Story (Hyperion, $14.95; ages 4-8) finds Rosie wondering why her Grandma is wearing inside-out clothes to remind her to buy the oil to fry her famous potato latkes. Her explanation winds thorough a long chain of remembrances; Rosie's father, grandfather, great-grandfather and family and friends who have crowd the house with good cheer. Hanukkah traditions are woven into the lighthearted family remembrances as well as a recipe for Grandma's Crunchy and Delicious Potato Latkes.
Lizzie and her grandfather spend a very untraditional Christmas together in Grandfather's Christmas Camp by Marc McCutcheon (Clarion, $15.95; ages 4-8). When Mr. Biggins, Grandfather's three-legged dog hasn't returned, Grandfather and Lizzie bundle up and hike into the snowy forest to find him. It's colder than Lizzie expected and darkness means that they have to make camp a long way from home. Their love for each other and the natural world makes this a Christmas that is full of surprises and the special warmth that defies even the freezing temperatures.
September llth is Grandparents' Day and it's easy to celebrate with a children's book because there are so many that honor magical way young and old share time and merge and blend perspectives to bring about a very unique kind of caring.
Relationship of young and old is very often built by rambling about relishing time spent together. Grandfather's Lovesong (Viking, $14.99; ages 4-7) has warm pictures by Rachel Isadora that show a grandfather and grandson enjoying work and play, seasons and times of day, nature and the world around them. Reeve Lindberg's rhymes lovingly declare the grandfather's adoration.
Harvey Stevenson's Grandpa's House (Hyperion, $14.95; ages 4-6) shows a grandfather getting to know a grandson who lives far from him. He does this with gentle teasing as they share the lovely pleasures of a slow vacation and all the sights, smells, and textures summer has to offer.
Elaine Moore writes a third book about a grandmother and her visiting granddaughter, Grandma's Garden (Lothrop, $15.00; ages 4-8). In Grandma's Garden they become "garden partners" where they plant, battle the elements, and, as always, joyously savor the time they spend together. The idyllic nature of country and the strength of their relationship is enlarged by the sensitive illustrations by Elise Primavera.
Marissa Moss' In America (Dutton, $14.99; ages 4-8) finds a young boy learning of the immigration of his Lithuanian grandfather. Examining a photo album, walking and talking becomes an adventure in story sharing where the grandfather reveals through his personal experiences the meaning of freedom, the newness of coming to a new country, the courage of risk taking, and the importance of remembering heritage. As the small boy listens, he applies his grandfather's learnings to his own life and vivid way story can teach.
The grandparents in Jane Yolen's Honkers (Little Brown, $14.95; ages 4-8) open their home and their hearts to their grandchild. When Betsy's pregnant mother is confined to bed, Betsy goes to stay with Grandy and Nana. They offer her all the comfort country life has, including allowing her an opportunity to caretake a goose. Keeping after her own charge keeps Betsy busy, happy and fills the void of missing home. Fall, flight, and the baby's arrival mean sad farewells before new hellos.
Jenny Koralek's The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams (Candlewick, $14.95; ages 4-9) gives a fantasy setting to the very real security a grandparent provides. A small boy has been protected his whole life from night things by the cloth of dreams his grandmother made for him. When he rips it, a hag and a troubling fish disturb his sleep. He must cross the thresholds of dark and quest for the cure before his grandmother mends the cloth, telling him that it's not really needed because he's "forged his own courage." Illustrations by James Mayhew add to the dreamy poetic quality of the story.
And what happens when aging takes away the independent living of grandparents? There are books to help children over these transitions.
Eve Bunting faces the issue realistically in Sunshine Home (Clarion, $14.95; ages 5-9) Timmie fears visiting his beloved grandmother in a home where she's been moved for full-time nursing care. Everyone puts up a pretty front and Timmie's feelings twist more and more until he runs back to deliver a picture and catches his grandmother in tears and when the truth comes up, acceptance and love follow.
Lee Wardlaw and Ronald Searle celebrate the very special bond between young and old in The Tales of Grandpa Cat(Dial, $14.99; ages 5-9) At the book's beginning, three kitty children drag their paws in protest over visiting their Grandpa Cat at Catnip Acres. Once there, Grandpa lures them away from TV with tremendous tales of Billy the Kitten and Calico Jane, Diamond Jim Kitty, The Great Tabby Houdini, and Miss Kitty Hawk. Lee Wardlaw's writing is full of word play, a perfect representation of the spiritedness that unites the two generations. Though cats are her vehicle, Wardlaw never loses sight of what makes kids purr--the delights of surprise and the silliness of overstatement. Ronald Searles doesn't miss a miaow. His visual frolics are filled with color, whimsy, wildness, and hidden jokes that cat-vort across pages waiting for discerning children to pounce.
Sometimes even death can't destroy the bond the young and old forge. Sue Limb describes an adoring grandmother-granddaughter relationship in Come Back, Grandma (Knopf, $13.00; ages 4-8) Whether they're hopscotching together or Bessie is counting her grandma's freckles, they always have time for each other...until Grandma's death. And so Bessie grows up and always feels her grandmother's presence and missing...until the birth of her daughter who's qualities and even her freckles bring Bessie's grandmother back to her.
Sheryl McFarlane's Waiting for the Whales (Philomel, $14.95; ages 5 and up) describes an old man who loves nothing more than gardening and watching the sea for the orcas...until the birth of his granddaughter who comes to live with him. She sticks to him like glue and loves all that he loves and all that he is...until his death. She's comforted only when she sees the orcas he loved returning with a new baby.
Acceptance is the key in Janet Anderson's The Key into Winter (Whitman, $14.95; ages 5 and up). In this fable, a family guards the four glowing keys to the seasons and while grandmother nods by a blazing fire, the mother tells her daughter how she hid the key to turn autumn to winter to save her own grandmother's life. Everyone is dismayed, but nothing can sway the girl's purpose until her grandmother mourns never seeing a last spring.
Madeline L'Engle fans are always holding their breaths waiting for her most recent release. In Troubling a Star (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, $16.00; ages 11 and up) she returns to tell another story about Vicky Austin, a heroine who made clear her respect and admiration for older people in Ring of Endless Light (Dell, $3.99; ages 11 and up). Now her affinity for older people leads her into an adventure to Antartica. Aunt Serena, a ninety year old woman, who's as wealthy as she is wise becomes a source of slace when Vicky returns to small town living. Anunt Serena knows vicky has "the poet's ability to see through the clouds to the light beyond." When Serena gives Vicky a birthday gift to Antartica, the young woman finds her self on a ship filled with people of advanced ages who are there to comfort, console, and protect her through the danger and the intrigue of her journey. With all these protectors and many angels watching over her, Vicky is revealed as a young woman who loves strongly, even when the ties render her vulnerable. As in all her books L'Engle leaves her readers caring deeply about new characters and wondering about the meaning of the universe in a new way.
Children's books worship the very special relationship that young and old share. Perhaps this is because only the youngest and oldest of our society allow themselves to enjoy life without putting time-limits on the pleasures of experiences. There are many children's books that celebrate this magic of special time-sharing. Other books talk about the healing of young and old and still others show how the differing perspectives merge and blend to celebrate a very special kind of caring.
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge is a classic book. It is also the name of a little boy who lives next door to an old people's home. He loves all the residents, but most especially Miss Nancy Alison Delacort Cooper because she, too, has four names. One day he overhears his parents talking about Miss Nancy's loss of memory and he decides to help her find it. Gathering definitions and then mementos, Wilfred does indeed find Miss Nancy's memory! Mem Fox's story is humorous, warm and gives profound respect for the connection of young and old. Illustrations by Julie Vivas bring Ms. Fox's characters even more to life with whimsy and playful fancy. Ages 4- adult. (Kane/Miller,$11.95, $7.95)
Many times it is older people who live alone that reach out to children in special ways. Charlotte Zolotow's I Know a Lady creates a wonderful older protagonist who celebrates nature, seasons and she treasures knowing children. The young storyteller looks behind, wondering if her old lady had once been loved by another older woman. Then she looks ahead, imagining herself in a similar role. Zolotow, herself has two levels of knowing. She celebrates the continuation of this kind of love with a simple terse text and yet reveals great deal of underlying feeling. James Stevenson's illustrations increase the specialness of both the woman and the relationship she has with children. Ages 2-6. (Greenwillow,$11.75, Penguin, $3.95)
When Sam's Great-uncle Felix comes to visit in Denys Cazet's book by the same title, the intimacy uncle and nephew share is immediately apparent. So is Sam's insecurity with his own abilities and his memories of his Great-aunt Rose. When he despairs aloud of his failings, Felix is quick to remind him that "you put the great in Great-Uncle Felix". With illustrations and words, Mr. Cazet balances humor, tenderness and the power of memory and relationship. Ages 3-6. (Orchard, $12.95)
Never has anyone captured so clearly the young-old union as Alice Shertle in her William and Grandpa. On arrival at Grandpa's house, William sings a new song for Grandpa and finds it is an old song. And here begins a string of enjoyments where Grandpa and William are young together. Age and time become irrelevant as they sing, chase shadows, cook, and star gaze from a sun-warmed house roof. William's experiences lead him to ponder the time; how it links families and feelings and fondnesses forever. Ages 4-8. (Lothrop, $12.95)
Sometimes children can have an unexpected and profound effect on adults. In Kathryn Lasky's Sea Swan, we view the Elzibah who lives a quiet, dignified and fulfilled life. . . until her grandchildren come. She discovers not only the tenderness of relationship with distant grandchildren, but views their joy of swimming. When, a short time later, she turn seventy-five years young, she decides to learn how to swim. She records her growing in warm letters to her grandchildren who seem ever-present in her thoughts. Illustrator Catherine Stock records the grace and beauty of growth with soft fluid watercolors. Ages 4-7. (Macmillan, $13.95)
Many times a grandparent can change a child's view of the world. The child in Staying with Grandma by Eileen Roe is, at first, apprehensive of spending the night. That is before Grandma introduces lawn sprinklers, sheet hanging, catching frogs, back scratches, and watching fireflies. The spare and reassuring text demonstrates the young child's growth from fear to joyous anticipation of the next visit. Illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers echo the joy de vivre of both young and old with vibrant colors and a sense of activity. Ages 1-4. (Bradbury, $12.95)
Staying with Grandma is the subject of two older picture books by Elaine Moore. Ms. Moore began her series with Grandma's House, (Lothrop, $13.00) telling the story of a young child who spends her whole summer at her grandmother's country home. Together they relish the entire summer from strawberries to plums. They celebrate half birthdays, chase bothersome birds and plant new trees. The idyllic nature of country and the strength of their relationship is enlarged by the sensitive illustrations by Elise Primavera who captures every joy and emotion of the summer. Author and illustrator collaborate again of the equally beautiful Grandma's Promise in which the little girl visits her grandmother during the winter. Quilts and stories warm them while they taste the canned peaches reminiscent of summer past and view the buds that promise them delight in the summer to come. Ages 4-7. (Lothrop, $11.95)
When John visits his grandparents in Patricia MacLachlan's Through Grandpa's Eyes, he "sees" the world through different eyes. John's grandfather is blind and he teaches John to use every sense he has in experiencing the world. This book succeeds in large part because of the lyrical images of the author who has the boy feel a sculpture with "waterfall fingers" and hear a smiling voice. She shows us an accurate vision of a non-seeing world, the power of using all one's senses, and the vitality of a dynamic young-old relationship. Illustrations by Deborah Kogan Ray offer a gratifying accompaniment to the perceptive text. Ages 5-8. (Harper and Row, $12.89, $3.95 )
Healing can start early in the young-old bond. In Eve Rice's Aren't You Coming Too? , illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker, Amy watches everyone busily going somewhere . There is school for the older children, neighbors walking dogs and jogging, and deliveries energetically being made. Amy waits impatiently at the window to find her place until finally...her grandfather arrives to take her to the zoo. Refrains and simplicity combine to make this a perfect expression of an exquisite grandparental rescue. Ages 2-4. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
There is a great grandparental liberation in Niki Daly's Not So Fast Songololo when a young South African child is whisked away from his noisy household for a downtown adventure with Gogo, his grandmother. The book is a pleasure for viewing another land, hearing other vocabulary (Gogo buys Songololo a new pair of red "tackies", or tennis shoes), but what remains the same is the distinctive brand of attachment between young and old. Daly's illustrations strongly picture all of these elements. Ages 4-8. (Macmillan, $13.95, Penguin, $3.50)
Mary Stolz's Storm in the Night, finds Thomas, Grandfather and Ringo, the cat all alone in a dark storm. Thomas is afraid, but it takes a loving grandfather to provide an environment where a truth like that can be known. Grandfather shares his stories, his perceptions of the beauty of the storm, his own young fears, and finally his comfort. The blue-toned illustrations by Pat Cummings extend the sensual element of the story and the kinship of the relationship. Ages 4-8. (Harper and Row, $12.95)
In Dick Gackenbach's With Love From Gran, the little boy treasures his relationship with his full-of-fun grandmother. When she decides to see the world before she is too old, she sends him outrageous gifts from around the world. Of course, the boy delights in all the presents but his grandmother's homecoming is "the best present of all." Ages 2-5. (Clarion, $13.95)
Another book employs the same words with a different twist. In The Best Present, by Holly Keller, Rosie tries desperately to be a comfort to her grandmother who is in the hospital. When the hospital will not allow her to visit the grandmother she adores, Rosie buys flowers, gathers courage and disguises herself as an older child. She can't lie when confronted and after sending her flowers up with the elevator man, goes unhappily home. In a reassuring ending, her grandmother returns home, shares gifts and cards including her "her best present of all", the pressed flowers that Rosie had sent. Both Keller's illustrations and words are full of the tenderness a young girl in this situation would feel. Ages 4-8. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
Plan to cry and get chills every time you read Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin and John Archambault, illustrated by Ted Rand. This poignant tale tells of an Indian youth who sits by the fire with his aging grandfather. The grandfather tells the boy of his birth and young life, suggesting that this may be the last telling, urging that the boy learn to tell his own story. The boy is undone by the thought of his grandfather's death and asks for a promise against that event, but the man consoles him "I promise you nothing, Boy./ I love you./ That is better than a promise." Hidden in the story is the fact that the boy is blind, making the theme of owning one's own life even more powerful. Illustrations by Ted Rand are as stirring as the words. His clear blue-skied scenes and the tenderness between grandfather and grandson are unforgettable. Ages 5- adult. (Henry Holt, $14.95)
Many times it is the young that comfort the old. Barbara Joosse tells a tender comforting story in her Better With Two. Mrs. Brady, her dog, Max and next-door neighbor Laura share walks and tea and when Laura goes home she watches Mrs. Brady swing and sing with Max. One day this does not happen because Max has died. Laura cries with Mama who hugs her and says "Crying is better with two." Laura brings gifts, trying to comfort the sad and lonely Mrs. Brady until she finally discovers that the best gift is herself. As she comforts Mrs. Brady with her presence, she realizes, "swinging, like crying, is better with two." Catherine Stock captures the emotional ups and downs of the story flawlessly. Ages 4-6. (Harper and Row, $11.95)
Sometimes healing comes in curious ways. In Eve Bunting's The Wednesday Surprise, Anna and her grandmother prepare a special surprise for Anna's father's birthday. The story is a surprise in itself, as it slowly reveals first the nature of the present and finally the giver, always keeping the reader in a state of wondering. We view Anna and her grandmother reading together and finally, in an entirely satisfying ending, learn that it is the child who has taught the adult to read. The story is tenderly told and the characters unusual in role and power. Ms. Bunting has taken taken a surprising and reassuring view point. She does not dwell on the sorrows of illiteracy (though to my knowledge this is the best book written on the subject), but rather the joys and pleasures of becoming a literate person. Ages 4-8. (Clarion, $13.95)
Sometimes there is a healing exchange in the young-old bond. Grandma and her young grandson go to say good-bye to the empty house where she and Grandpa had lived in Ben Shecter's Grandma Remembers. They nurture each other through the experience as memories fill the old rooms and gardens. As Grandmother steels herself to face a new home and life, the boy repeats his grandfather's words, "don't worry, I'll be there." This is a tale of good-byes and hellos and the mutual support that the young-old bond offers. Ages 3-6. (Harper and Row, $13.95)
In Georgia Music, (Greenwillow, $11.75) a grandaughter unused to the country goes to spend the summer with her grandfather in rural Georgia. She is frightened by everything in this new environment until her grandfather takes out his harmonica. He begins by playing recognizable songs and ends by playing the Georgia music that surrounds them. The next summer, the grandfather sits and stares until he is taken to the girl's home in Baltimore. In the moving ending the young girl provides the hope of healing. It is she, this time, that takes out a harmonica and encourages her grandfather with the sounds of Georgia music. Art by James Stevenson and text by Helen Griffith will surely bring a lump to your throat in this deeply emotive story. Equally pleasurable and perhaps more humorous is a second book by author and illustrator, Grandaddy's Place. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
Two books describe how a child may begin life with the loving help of an adult and then, in turn, care for the original caretaker. In A Special Trade by Sally Wittman, Old Bartholomew, Nelly's neighbor, strolls her through sprinklers, gives her a hand when she learns to walk, cheers her out of moods and tells stories. He is always especially sensitive to her feelings and respects her determination to be independent. The neighbors marvel at their relationship and call them "ham and eggs." One day Old Bartholomew is taken to the hospital and returns without his smile or joy of life. Gently, drawing on their private vocabulary and shared experiences, Nelly reminds him of old pleasures until the smile comes back into Old Bartholomew's eyes. Ages 3-7. (Harper and Row, $10.89, $3.95)
Similar in theme is Tomie de Paola's Now One Foot, Now the Other. Bobby's named after his grandfather Bob who helps him learn to talk, walk, build, and joke. When Bob has a stroke, no one has much hope for his recovery---except Bobby who encourages his growth, remembering the ways he was once supported. Ages 4-7. (Putnam,$9.95, $5.95)
The aging process is many times a mystery to children. Norma Farber explains many feelings in her poetic book, How Does It Feel To Be Old? A grandchild several times asks an old woman how she feels to be old and she responds with specific descriptions of age's pleasures and pitfalls--the freedom, the loneliness; the patience, the impatience. They look in a mirror and compare themselves. The grandmother shares a family album, stories, heirlooms, advice and tenderness. Trina Schart Hyman's realistically detailed illustrations preserve all the old woman says and clarify with pictorial images. Ages 5-8. (Dutton, $12.95, $3.95)
The best gift my children ever received was a recorded journal from their grandparents. Sense of history, personal history, traditions, memories, and advice are addressed in Grandmother Remembers (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $13.95) and Grandfather Remembers (Harper and Row, $13.95) I think journaling is one of the finest way for a grandparent to demonstrate aging, history, themselves and their love for to their grandchildren!