Our Granny: A Funny and Warm Story About a Perfect Grandma for Children

by Margaret Wild, Julie Vivas (Illustrator)

Two children compare their granny with others. Some grannies have thin legs, fat knees, crinkly eyes, or big soft laps. Their granny has a wobbly bottom and wears an old red sweater that was grandpa's. She has a style all her own--and to the children who love her, this granny is perfect. Full of warmth and good humor. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Cultural, Love

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Margaret Wild is one of Australia's most highly respected picture-book creators whose award-winning children's books are loved by children all over the world. Margaret has published over seventy picture books for young children and she has been the recipient of the Nan Chauncy Award and the Lady Cutler Award for her contributions to Australian children's literature.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though these grandkids point out many different kinds of grandmas, it is clear that they love and are very proud of their own granny. I was rather fond of her, too. Loved the "wobbly bottom" part and how she wears her late husband's old sweater sometimes. This is a sweet story with fun illustrations and a very nice tribute to the many kinds of (equally awesome) grandmothers.

[Maxwell Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked learning how grandmas come in all different kinds of shapes and sizes. Both of mine are really different from each other, and I love them both to bits.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy and girl share the things that some grandmas do, followed by what it is that their granny does. Illustrations are bright and humorous.

I enjoyed this book because it focuses on the day-to-day things between grandmothers and grandchildren from a simple, caring, fun, light-hearted perspective.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this–it’s definitely my favorite Vivas book. Wild does a great job at describing all of the different ways grannies can be, and Vivas illustrates them so delightfully. It’s perfect for showing how people under a specific title can be so different and so similar. It’s a truly sweet book.

Review cross-listed here!

[Jabria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our Granny is a fiction book, about two children comparing their granny to other grannies. Some of the comparisons include where they live, their physical appearances, and their different jobs. This book relates to my topic because their granny is a part of their immediate family and actually lives with and watches after them. The relationship between a grandmother and grandchildren is also another important dynamic in some families as w

The overall story in my opinion was interesting to children and can offer them a lot of things to talk about, question, or concern such as what are some things that you and your grandmother do together or what made the characters granny different from everyone's granny. I believe that it is age appropriate for children up to about the first grade reading level and it is easy for them to understand the content. It also utilizes style and language that are appropriate for children up to the first grade level, and have characters that are both realistic and convincing.

In my opinion the illustrations are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters, and it also corresponds to the text. The illustration does a good job of showing a visual representation of the text, which is why the illustration can hold the children's interest while the text is read and enhance and add to the story.

This book doesn't really offer that much cultural diversity, but it relates to the culture represented in the book well. The characters don't really represent a variety of cultural groups, except in the illustrations of other grannies. There are no negative stereotypes of the represented group, and the lifestyles of the characters are genuine and not oversimplified. The characters also use speech that accurately represent their culture.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story about grandmothers. My mother-in-law lives with us, so this book was a great reminder of how lucky we are to have extended family close by (especially since we're military and move fairly often!) I love that it shows that grandmothers come in all shapes and sizes, have all different kinds of hobbies, and yet they still love to give kisses and hugs. I noticed that all of the grannies were rather large and lumpy, though, and that's not the case with all of the grandmothers in our family and I certainly hope that's not me later on in life. Otherwise, it's a fun story and it really brings home how wonderful it is to have a grandparent in our lives.

[Sarah Hutchinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this story does a wonderful job giving background on all different kinds of family dynamics and how everyone’s family can be different, I felt the story over all was very repetitive and didn’t really capture my interest. The story would be good for introducing different cultures and interests of people. I was not particularly a fan of the illustrations, I am not sure their medium, but I was just not wowed. This book is by no means a horrible choice for a young reader but I would not recommend it for children past 1st grade.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our granny has a wobbly bottom"

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this lyrical picture book, a brother and sister list the different characteristics of granny's, pointing out that they can come in all shapes, sizes and styles, and then personalizing it by telling the reader where their granny fits in. Each characteristic follows the same format, beginning with Some grannies... and ending with Our granny: "Some grannies wear,,,/ jeans and sneakers / pantsuits/ silky dresses/ big bras/ baggy underwear/ lots of jewelry/ high heels/ sensible shoes/ or comfy slippers. Our granny wears a funny bathing suit." There is nothing mean spirited about the comparisons, there is not better or worse, simply the kind of things kids would notice. What makes this brother and sister's granny special is that she loves them and they love her, but that would be true of any granny and her grandchildren, so they are all special. Vivas' colorful watercolor illustrations compliment the warm humor of the text, offering a wide variety of diverse grannies and presents them from various perspectives. Kids will certainly look for their grannies characteristics in those listed throughout this book and that can spark some lively conversations, as it did with my young readers.

Most stories about grandparents and grandchildren show a loving relationship between the two generations, helping children feel connected to the past in a particular, personal way. But sometimes a grandparent's memory begin to disappear, cultural customs are forgotten and special occasions get lost as a grandparent ages. Sadly, that is a part of life for some families, which is why I am including the following book on a day when we celebrate grandparents.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book would have been wonderful if they just would have left out the line about wearing big bras with the accompanying picture. I don't need to be reading about women in bras to my toddler and I definitely don't need them seeing women with nothing on on top except a bra.

We try to teach our children that the human body is a temple and sacred and they they should be modest in what they wear and careful about what they see to preserve that sacredness and respect. So that's why I'm putting this book on the not recommended list.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture Book

There are all different types of grannies. Round ones, wobbly ones, fast ones and busy ones.

This beautiful picture book with its clear, fun pictures of all types of grannies - what they enjoy, where they live, what they do, or how they look, is perfect for young children. The plain, white backgrounds make the colourful grannies pop on the page.

Gorgeous!

(Grandma, Gran, Nan, Granny, Nona, Nana, Grandmother, Love, Differences)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay for openlibrary.org; thank you, volunteers, for rescuing this discarded book and making it avl. online to all. Thank you Gillian for recommending it, based on my glowing review of Wilfred Gordon Mcdonald Partridge. Vivas' illustrations make this especially appealing - a book that could be enjoyed over and over.

[Tessa Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children compare their grandmother to ones that they know around them. Their grandmother lives with them and always manages to give them kisses. Their grandfather died and their grandmother still wears his scarf often and misses him a lot. This is a touching story on how all grandmothers are different, but they are all special.

[Joseph Crupper · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the time it was written, I can tell it does a great deal of work to be inclusive. The (loose) narrative gives kids a way to discuss the different ways a granny can be while relating to the granny in the book. A fun time, fun language, fun illustrations.

[Gabby Belanski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this story works as a reminder that not all families, or people, are exactly alike. I would probably have this available as a book for independent reading with other family centered books. Generally wasn’t the biggest fan.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

People are all different, interesting and loveable.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this book to my GRANBABIES!

[Michelle Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! Shows how all families (grannies) come in different shapes, jobs, interests, etc. Great for ages 2 and older. Book also provide hand-drawn illustrations, which were more relatable.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Open Library.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool book about some of the many different sorts of grannies children have. Colourful illustrations from lots of angles.

[Miss Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

All grannies are different

[Nicole Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

picked this up while browsing in a large Little Free Library and gave it a read.

[Lee Qarib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought for my grandson. Beautiful read aloud and funny at his level.

[Claire Corkill · Rating 2 out of 5]

How do I feel about some of the descriptions from a body positivity perspective? Unsure.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a shout-out to awesome grandmothers everywhere. It is voiced by two grandchildren celebrating their granny, and explaining that all grannies are different.They compare their granny to other grannies,and through this the reader sees that this granny happens to be very independent, and highlights a non-stereotypical gender role for the readers. It shows a non-traditional family structure with genuine and relatable family relationships.

This relates to my topic of families, and is able to show a non-stereotypical grandmother that several children could relate to. (I know my grandmother did not just sit around making chocolate chip cookies, so I could personally relate to it as an adult.) The genre of this children's book is Realistic Fiction, and it is appropriate for children in Kindergarten to about Third Grade.

It meets a lot of the qualifications for a quality children's book. The story was interesting to children, it is age appropriate, it utilizes style and language that are appropriate for children's ages and interests, and it includes realistic and convincing characters. The illustrations were accurate, they corresponded to the text, they hold children's interest as the story is read, and they enhance and add to the story. The book wasn't necessarily culturally diverse, though. It showed different types of grannies in general, but it didn't show a variety of culture groups. It did however expose children to multiple perspectives and values, there were no negative stereotypes presented,the lifestyles of the characters were genuine and complex, the characters used speech that was accurately representative of their culture, and the author and illustrator belong to the group represented.

[Simac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like my granny more than this granny because my grannies make yummy food for me. This granny only does exercise and other things.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our Granny honors grandmothers from all walks of life. Whether they live in an apartment or a trailer, whether they play cards or sing in a band, whether they have had three or six husbands, all grannies are special to someone. One granny in particular means the world to the characters represented in the story. Though the story never reveals the children's names, the key to remember is that they are loved by their grandmother.

This book provides both humor and sentimental value. Text such as "Our granny has a wobbly bottom" is terminology a young child can relate. However, it seems as if the author spent most of her concentration on making the story funny rather than making it seem cohesive. Jumping from a variety of grannies' possible occupations and turning the page to discover granny "marching in demonstrations" might bring confusion to the reader. The content seems appropriate for pre-school aged children, but some of the vocabulary expresses otherwise. "T'ai chi" and "Badminton" are several examples.

The water color illustrations bring the author's words to life. Where the reader finds humor in the text, he/she will find humor in the images. The paintings give faces and shapes to the diversity of grandmothers. Almost every child can find a likeness between their own grandmother and one presented on the pages.

[Haleema Vaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Our Granny” starts as a story about a granny who lives with her daughter and grandchildren. Written by Margaret Wild “Our Granny” gives an informative text about Grannies and many of their different characteristics. The main idea of the story is that not all grannies, nor people, have the same qualities or characteristics (ex. Some grannies live in… apartments, big old houses, and little rooms in the city. Some grannies have… thin legs, fat knees bristly chins…). As a teacher, I would use this text to teach adjectives (ex. “Silky dresses”, “baggy underwear”, “sloppy kisses”). The author Margret Wild does an amazing job at acknowledging differences in a neutral way (ex.” Interesting hair, crinkly eyes, friendly smiles, big soft lips”). Students could interact with the text by noticing/recording some of differences in appearances’, hobbies, and other characteristics between themselves and their peers. Margaret Wild has lived in Australia and South Africa, so she is no stranger to differences and diversity. This text demonstrates and embraces the fact that no one person, or in this case granny, is the same. The illustrations by Julie Vivas are simple, but correlate with the text perfectly. Even though the pictures are simple they could tell a story without the words.

[Isis Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is funny, crazy, entertaining and definitely meets a lot of the qualifications for a quality children's book! The book is interesting to children -- showing things that crazy grandparents do, it is age appropriate, it utilizes style and language that are appropriate for children's ages and interests, and it includes realistic (yet extremely funny) and convincing characters. The illustrations were accurate and amazing, corresponded to the text and plot, holds children interests, and they enhance the story extremely. The book, however, is not culturally diverse.. It shows different types of grandmothers, but the grandmothers are all white. It does however, expose children to multiple perspectives and values, there were no negative stereotypes or biases,the lifestyles of the characters were genuine. Furthermore, the characters uses speech that was accurately representative of their culture, and the author is a part of the group represented, which is older white women.