Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it usually means spending time with extended family. Holidays are an excellent time for children to connect and bond with grandparents and relatives living farther away. Whether traveling or hosting this year, these books are great for children and grandparents to enjoy together.
What Grandmas Do Best /What Grandpas Do Best by Laura Numeroff
In the first half of the book, all the things Grandmas can do are listed (picnicking, going to the beach, cooking), and then when you flip it over, you see all the things Grandpas can do. But it also shows you the one thing they both do best (spoiler…loving their grandchild).
What Grandmas Can’t Do by Douglas Wood is a fun companion to the book above. It lists all the things Grandmas can’t do: bake your favorite cookies by themselves or let you go to bed without reading to you, for example.
41 Uses for a Grandma/40 Uses for a Grandpa by Harriet Ziefert
This is another fun list of things grandparents and grandchildren can do together. Kids will giggle at the “uses” for grandparents: butlers, entertainment centers, and ball hoops paired with silly illustrations showing grandparents and grandchildren having fun together.
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Read a beautiful story of his great-grandfather’s life through the fantastical topiaries in his grandfather’s garden.
The Raft by Jim LaMarche
The book tells the story of Nicky, who thinks that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods will be horrible. But once he discovers a raft and learns to enjoy the river and wildlife through it, he finds a new bond with his grandmother and her life.
Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz tells the story of a grandson and grandfather who weather a summer storm together by sharing stories.
Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanias, Bindu’s Bindis by Supriya Kelkar, and I’ll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca all celebrate the special bonds between grandparents who live very far away from their grandchildren. Each one centers around a grandchild living in the US and a grandparent in a different country.
The Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster won the Caldecott medal in 2005 and shows the perspective of the world through the eyes of a child looking out of the window at her grandparent’s house. It’s where she says hello and goodbye, but also where they play games and watch stars together.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
I always think of this book when I think of grandparents and kids. Charlie and Grandpa Joe’s unforgettable trip together through Willy Wonka’s magical factory is sweet (pun attended) and funny.