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goodem9199's review
2.0
We have a little lamb who is creeped out by Grandma Lamb. All is well by the end as she helps rebuild their house after a thunderstorm. Huh?
The fact that little ones are not always so, ahem, fond of family members is a great theme for a picture book. Definately not addressed often enough...but this wasn't the one to fill that space.
The fact that little ones are not always so, ahem, fond of family members is a great theme for a picture book. Definately not addressed often enough...but this wasn't the one to fill that space.
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
This was so sweet.......I loved it so much. It's sometimes extremely hard to relate and warm up to someone who's from a different generation, to someone who views the world a little differently. But family is family, and Grammy Lamby argues that no matter what, family will always be there for you. Not to mention, of course, the strengths of building a community and helping one another. I think the Klise sisters should be held in much higher esteem--I'm glad to have discovered them, and I can't wait to read more by them.
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
leslie_d's review
4.0
The “gentle tribute” the publisher references is one of the best things about the book. A lot of Grandparent Books assume a ready-relationship or recommend that a grandparent/grandchild relationship is the most natural assumption in the world. In Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake, Larry isn’t so sure about this woman who comes to visit. She’s strange. And you know, Grammy models this gentle persistence wherein she doesn’t push Larry to respond in kind. She will be there for him–and in to his and his community’s good fortune.
Larry comes to appreciate his Grammy’s personality. She is a spirited figure and given the right circumstances he understands the value of it. Instead of repulsion, he becomes fascinated. The Klises accomplish a lot in the short time the tale takes–book-wise. Grammy and Larry are given much more time to accomplish the sort of relationship you can foresee with a growing delight.
The illustrations place Grammy Lamby in Little Rabbit’s world. Same palette, sets, and style. It has that timeless appeal as well, so collect Grammy Lamby and the Little Rabbit books and leave room for more. I hope to see much more in this vein from the Klise sisters; these really sweet and smart picture books like Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/grandmothers/
Larry comes to appreciate his Grammy’s personality. She is a spirited figure and given the right circumstances he understands the value of it. Instead of repulsion, he becomes fascinated. The Klises accomplish a lot in the short time the tale takes–book-wise. Grammy and Larry are given much more time to accomplish the sort of relationship you can foresee with a growing delight.
The illustrations place Grammy Lamby in Little Rabbit’s world. Same palette, sets, and style. It has that timeless appeal as well, so collect Grammy Lamby and the Little Rabbit books and leave room for more. I hope to see much more in this vein from the Klise sisters; these really sweet and smart picture books like Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/grandmothers/
bev_reads_mysteries's review
4.0
Grammy Lamby & the Secret Handshake by Kate and M. Sarah Klise is a delightful children's book about the relationship between grandparent and grandchild. Instead of a more expected, traditional view--where "grands" are natural allies and friends, the book gives us Larry Lamb, a boy who seems to meet his grandmother later in life and who is embarrassed and confused by this loud, exuberant person who wears loud hats, sings much louder than anyone else in church, and wants him to do the secret "I love you" handshake when all he wants is for her to go away.
But Larry soon learns that Grammy's spirited personality can be a great thing when storms hit and his family and his community need help. As he helps Grammy to help others, he finds out what a special person she is and what it can mean to have a secret handshake meant just for you. A really sweet book with a great story told in simple language and beautiful illustrations.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
But Larry soon learns that Grammy's spirited personality can be a great thing when storms hit and his family and his community need help. As he helps Grammy to help others, he finds out what a special person she is and what it can mean to have a secret handshake meant just for you. A really sweet book with a great story told in simple language and beautiful illustrations.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
j_b_'s review
3.0
The authors take on an uncomfortable subject that many picture books ignore: Not all children love their grandparents. Sometimes unfamiliar older people are embarassing, scary, or irritating to a young child. While the end is predictable, it should offer encouragement to families that are experiencing similar situations. The illustrated sheep are also very charming.
tashrow's review
4.0
Larry wasn’t very excited when his grandmother came to visit. She invented a secret handshake for the two of them on the very first time she visited. The three squeezes meant “I love you.” His grandma also loved to talk and sew, and that’s what she did much of the time she spent at their house. When they went to church, Grammy Lamby wore a big hat and sang louder than anyone else. She even had big plans for trips they would take together when Larry was older. But Larry didn’t want to go anywhere with Grammy Lamby. The next time Grammy Lamby visited, a storm blew into town and tore a hole in their roof. Grammy Lamby sprang into action, fixing and hammering. It was a whole new grandma from Larry’s perspective. And a whole new hero for him to admire.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
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