It seems as if every week I find myself canceling yet another get-together due to Covid fears. For an adult, putting off a meet-up with an old friend is one thing. But for children, even a mere month can feel like an eternity. Visits with grandparents, once a highlight of summer, especially for those who live far from extended family, are just one more thing that’s up in the air these days. While a picture book may not be able to replace the feeling of sitting on a grandparent’s lap, these celebrations of intergenerational bonds offer some comfort to those who can’t visit in person, reassure children that distance is no obstacle to a strong relationship, and address the challenges of forging connections when you haven’t seen a loved one in a long time—or ever.
Can you bond with a grandparent you’ve just met? With Gigi and Ojiji (HarperCollins, May 3), Melissa Iwai answers that question with an emphatic yes. Japanese American Gigi is thrilled to learn that her grandfather is moving from Japan to live with her family. Though Gigi and Ojiisan’s first meeting is awkward, they bridge their cultural divide with help from Gigi’s mother. Iwai’s tale features gentle cartoon artwork and text that’s simple enough to build confidence in burgeoning readers yet laced with a profound message: Sometimes it takes time to build a relationship, but the rewards are rich.
Though the child narrator of Pat Zietlow Miller’s See You Someday Soon (Roaring Brook, June 14) is physically far from their grandmother, the two of them face the distance with aplomb, certain that their reunion is a matter of when, not if. Suzy Lee’s thick, doodlelike linework dances across vibrant, solidly colored backgrounds, setting a whimsical tone matched by Zietlow Miller’s charming text. Offering both pie-in-the-sky suggestions (“Maybe I’ll mail myself to you”) and more down-to-earth ideas (“Did you know you can see me on your computer?”), this endearingly assured child will buoy little ones longing to visit their own grandparents.
Jean Reidy’s A Grand Day (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster, July 5) sees grandparents and grandchildren coming together for a day of fun. Reidy’s snappy, energetic verse is sweet but never saccharine, while Samantha Cotterill’s illustrations—created by photographing 3-D dioramas of diverse families reading, wading, playing dress-up, telling stories, and even pausing for a nap—are utterly immersive. Readers will be eagerly planning their own grand days in anticipation.
If the grandchild at the center of Liza Ferneyhough’s Nana, Nenek & Nina (Dial, Aug. 9) wants to see her grandmothers, “there’s a lot of figuring out to do”—Nana lives in England, while Nenek lives in Malaysia. But Nina, who lives in the United States, takes it in stride, matter-of-factly chronicling her trips. Each spread offers gracefully composed, side-by-side depictions of the visits; on one page, Nenek invites Nina inside for a glass of Milo, while on the verso Nana offers the child hot chocolate. Rooting her story in concrete, homey details, Ferneyhough makes clear that loved ones separated by distance can still enjoy rich, meaningful relationships.
Jillian, the protagonist of Sarah Aronson’s Brand-New Bubbe (Charlesbridge, Aug. 23), doesn’t need another grandmother—she already has two. But Bubbe, her new stepfather’s mother, manages to overcome Jillian’s resistance with patience, humor, and time spent cooking matzah ball soup together. Ariel Landy’s playful, exaggerated illustrations convey the characters’ exasperation, hurt, and eventual delight at newfound familial relationships. Aronson’s warm tale makes clear that no matter how big a family is, there’s always room to embrace a newcomer.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
