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amydieg's review against another edition
4.0
It is very nice to see a loving representation of a different kind of grandparent than the warm and fuzzy one that is always defaulted to.
sara_beth_11's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very unique book. Topics touched on in this book, such as the grandmother's struggles with alcohol and depression, are real life issues that the book handles gently. I think this book would have the greatest impact on kids who are unsure what to make of grandparents or other elderly relatives.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
I can totally relate to a relationship with a prickly person. There are people in the world who are a little more rigid and particular than others. I love that this book shares a look at a grandparent relationship that is loving, but isn't mushy, sweet and cuddly because there are so many types of relationships in the world.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
That relationship children have with an elder can be special. Every relationship is a bit different - some are full of hugs and pinched cheeks, and others remain at an arms distance. Regardless, children behold those relationships with a certain admiration. Even if this story is full of hugs, I enjoyed reading about this relationship and what the young girl learned about her great-grandmother.
bookdingo's review against another edition
5.0
Call her GrandMOTHER, not Grandma. You can't play in her room, but you can look around. She's glamorous and she takes sips of an amber liquid from a glass because her heart is broken.
I love this book. It reminds me of looking at my own Granny's vanity and wondering about her past.
I love this book. It reminds me of looking at my own Granny's vanity and wondering about her past.
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson tells a wonderful little story here about a great-grandmother who is surly, tough, and a little bit glamorous. She depicts the relationship between grandmother and grandchild wonderfully, with the young girl in the story admiring and loving her great-grandmother despite being a little bit afraid of her. She also takes a look at Great-Grandmother Nell's history and the things that shaped who she became.
Elizabeth Zunon's illustrations are beautiful. I have never read any other picture books with her illustrations before, but this definitely has my attention. The watercolour flashback scenes are delightful in the best way.
Don't Call Me Grandma is funny, charming, complicated, and touching. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good picture book. I look forward to seeing more from both the author and the illustrator.
Elizabeth Zunon's illustrations are beautiful. I have never read any other picture books with her illustrations before, but this definitely has my attention. The watercolour flashback scenes are delightful in the best way.
Don't Call Me Grandma is funny, charming, complicated, and touching. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good picture book. I look forward to seeing more from both the author and the illustrator.
voya_k's review against another edition
4.0
Finally, a picture book about a hard-case glamorous grandmother who doesn't want you touching her stuff (but who will teach you how to apply lipstick and let you sip out of her glass of brown 'heart medicine'). I love the complex relationship between adult and child here.
cweichel's review against another edition
5.0
The title caught my eye and so, as a Grandma myself, I had to bring it home.
I ended up adoring it so much that I read it a few times. I am not much like the glamorous Great-Grandmother Nell. My grannies were round and soft and huggable. What they did do that Great-Grandmother Nell does, is tell stories about other times and love their grandchildren. Even though Nell isn't a huggable Grandma, what comes across in this book is how much love the narrator and her share.
The gorgeous illustrations enhance the text. I have a few favourite pages. The first is the one of Nell with her "short, stubby glass with a picture of a spider on one side" filled with something that looks like apple juice. Great-Grandmother Nell calls it "heart medicine" for a broken heart. On another page "She remembers the time her best friend said they couldn't be friends anymore because of her brown skin."
When the girl asks,
"Is that when your heart got broken, Grandmother?"
"She looks out the window and whispers, "The first time."
It's the two page spread with a collage of historical photographs, headlines, and watercolour images that gives us an understanding of who Great-Grandmother Nell is and what she has endured. This is the page that had me aching for my mother's mom, my Granny Alaric, who told stories of seeing Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, among many others of time long gone.
I ended up adoring it so much that I read it a few times. I am not much like the glamorous Great-Grandmother Nell. My grannies were round and soft and huggable. What they did do that Great-Grandmother Nell does, is tell stories about other times and love their grandchildren. Even though Nell isn't a huggable Grandma, what comes across in this book is how much love the narrator and her share.
The gorgeous illustrations enhance the text. I have a few favourite pages. The first is the one of Nell with her "short, stubby glass with a picture of a spider on one side" filled with something that looks like apple juice. Great-Grandmother Nell calls it "heart medicine" for a broken heart. On another page "She remembers the time her best friend said they couldn't be friends anymore because of her brown skin."
When the girl asks,
"Is that when your heart got broken, Grandmother?"
"She looks out the window and whispers, "The first time."
It's the two page spread with a collage of historical photographs, headlines, and watercolour images that gives us an understanding of who Great-Grandmother Nell is and what she has endured. This is the page that had me aching for my mother's mom, my Granny Alaric, who told stories of seeing Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, among many others of time long gone.
zehroni's review
dark
emotional
sad
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Yes!!!!!! Illustrations!!! The colors were beautiful, drawings were excellent. I just. Yes.
Didn't care for the story though, grandmother is a bit of a grump, treats her granddaughter poorly and dies at the end??????????? am I reading that wrong??? Hello?
Didn't care for the story though, grandmother is a bit of a grump, treats her granddaughter poorly
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Racism
mmattmiller's review against another edition
2.0
I absolutely adore the illustrations. Some parts of the story really touched me, but other parts never seemed to resolve. I'm not sure kids would love this one. It might spark conversations about their own grandparents, but might also spark questions about why the grandMOTHER is cold or harsh. So I guess some good conversations might stem from it, but again, I don't think kids will love it, or would ask for it again. Not one I would use in my teaching.