I could make a long list of books about grandmas and grandpas that excel for many reasons yet this book, Just Like Grandma, recently ignited a spark in me that continues to glow brightly.
Kim Rogers writes and Julie Flett illustrates a heartwarming picture book about a very specific grandma who creates a longing for my own grandma within me.
This grandma beads moccasins while sitting on her front steps.
This grandma paints a sunrise in her studio.
This grandma shoots hoops as her granddaughter prepares for team tryouts.
My own grandma did none of those things and yet … I see and hear my grandma on every page of this book. That’s magic.
As Becca, the granddaughter, repeats throughout the book, she wants to be “just like Grandma.” So did I. I was by her side as she did many things that I learned to do. Her sayings are still in my head. I see her hands over my own in quiet moments. I observed how she expressed her love for friends and family. To this day, I want to be “just like Grandma.”
I believe this book will speak to readers young and old who will find harmonies throughout the story. Not everyone is fortunate to know and love their grandparents, but for those who are this book will sing a beguiling melody.
Grandpa is here, too. He calls Grandma and Becca in to eat the meals he makes, including corn soup, pancakes, and fry bread. I end up hungry each time I read Just Like Grandma.
The words stay with me and Julie Flett’s illustrations create the warm, love-filled environment of a caring family.
Soft greens, browns, and blues are punctuated by the bright red of Grandma’s dance shawl, the oranges and yellows of the sunset, the celebratory pepperoni pizza they share, and, quite beautifully, the culminating beadwork. Flett’s illustrations add details, energy, and warmth.
This is a book that will stir memories, engender discussions, and find you pulling it off your shelf often.
Highly recommended.
Just Like Grandma
written by Kim Rogers
illustrated by Julie Flett
published by Heartdrum
HarperCollins, 2023