Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne, illustrated by Mary Haverfield

Look at family through the eyes of a young girl who lives with her grandparents.  Nonnie, her grandmother, gives her hugs all the time.  Poppy snuggles in bed, watches TV with them.  They are a close-knit and loving family made up of two grandparents and a child.  The book oozes love and warmth.  It is filled with a strong sense of home, the sort of home that every child deserves and would adore living in. This loving picture book, written by a grandmother who takes care of her granddaughter will fill an important place in library collections and speaks with love of how well different types of families work.

I was very pleased to see a book on this subject, because so many children are being raised by their grandparents.  Then after reading it, I was thrilled once again to have found a book that so embraces a child and delights in the warm world it is creating.  So yes, this is a wonderful book on grandparents being parents but is also a book that children in any sort of family with relate to and enjoy.  Byrne’s use of repetition as a framework for the story works well, particularly because the repetition is about Nonnie cuddles.  Her depiction of a special family is enhanced by the soft watercolor illustrations that help depict the connections of the family members.

Highly recommended, this book is simply lovely and will fill an important niche in library collections.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Abbeville Press.