#BOOKREVIEW #2

CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW AS A WRITER AND READER

Title: MY WONDERFUL GRANDMOTHER
Author: Kate Knapp
Illustrator: Kate Knapp
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

A book that I could hardly find any problems.

I recently wrote a children’s picture book. The project was tougher than writing a book for adults. I can’t write till I understand the art. I read lots of books, and that’s why I am sharing my knowledge with whoever is thinking or planning to write a picture book.

The challenge with children’s books is

– Children have short attention span
– They can’t understand difficult or big words.
– They have great imagination but still need realistic elements
– It can’t be only text, illustrations or pictures are an integral part

The book – My Wonderful Grandmother – is like reading about an everyday interaction with your grandmother and walking back in your memory lane. There are so many relatable incidents where you see yourself in the book, and the child in you smiles crazily. Weather it was walking to the market, having tea or being part of Grandma’s book club, you would see yourself somewhere in this book. Every scenario starts with “What is wonderful about my grandmother…”

In this book, Ruby shares her admiration for her Grandmother – affectionally called– Babushka Galina Galushka. Through this book, Ruby presents the warmth of a grandmother who can see through you like an x-ray and can understand your feelings.

The illustrations are soothing to the eyes just like the story is soothing to the heart. Every page is a visual delight, inviting young readers and old into the dreamy, peaceful world that feels like a hug in a book form.

This is the first children’s book where I found it hard to look for something I didn’t like. Visuals and text complement each other. Few words might be difficult for this age group to understand, but the book is so marvellous that those words can be ignored for a while. As a teacher reading this book to my class, I didn’t mind pausing to explain those words.

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