Granny, Wait for Me!

Sarah Owens (text),  Anil Tortop (illus), Granny, Wait for Me!,  Little Steps Publishing,  1 Nov 2015, 28pp.,  $14.95 (pbk) ISBN: 9781925117400

This beautifully illustrated picture book is told in rollicking verse. The story is a simple one, a boy and his granny go for a bike ride and picnic at the park. The Granny is no tea-sipping, knitting gran – she’s one who likes to swing on the monkey bars and speed off on her bicycle. In a reversal of roles, the boy is shown as the reticent one, while Granny craves adventure.

This book could be used in a classroom setting to discuss different kinds of grandparents and what they like to do. It would be a good one to read on Grandparent’s Day.

Just one word of caution, while the illustrations do depict a warm relationship between Granny and the boy, in practice she speeds off on her bicycle, leaving him in her wake – hence, the title.

Reviewed by Heather Gallagher