ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRANNIES

An encyclopedic, humorous study of grannies, expressed through a series of questions that most readers would have never even thought of posing.

Even though this book has heavy stock pages and thick board covers, it is anything but a board book for babies. Indeed, certain levels of maturity and sophistication are required of readers to fully appreciate this whimsical approach to grannies. Questions such as “How flexible are grannies?”; “Why do grannies travel on buses?”; and “…exactly how old are grannies?” are answered with cartoon illustrations and clever humor. For example, in the first scenario, a granny is depicted performing some admirably flexible exercises indeed. The second is answered with an acknowledgment that they are often seen on buses and an honest “But nobody knows where they go.” In the third, three spry-looking grannies pose as the text states: “Some grannies are 58…some are 69…and some are even 87!” Originally published in French, the text in Hahn’s translation ably incorporates rhyme (“slippers” / “flippers”) and puns (“And when it’s time to rest, they slip on some Grans N’ Roses…”). Grannies are depicted in all sorts of outfits, hairdos, and hair colors, and a list of granny nicknames includes some ethnically specific ones, but all are white as the paper they are printed on.

An offbeat look at modern-day grannies that is bound to elicit a chuckle or two.