Anna Walker, I Love My Grandma (I Love Ollie #9), Scholastic Australia, April 2019, 24 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760667184
While Ollie the zebra spends the day with his grandma playing, singing, painting and having a picnic, I am fondly reminded of my own grandmother, who always had a story to tell, or game to play.
Written in effortless rhyme, I Love My Grandma, captures the heart-warming bond that can exist between grandparents and grandchildren, and beautifully portrays the magic ability of children to find joy in the simplest of things.
Anna Walker has an uncanny ability to extend the imagination through her carefully chosen text, allowing the reader and listener to savour every word and moment of reading together. Her ‘less is more’ approach creates a truly special reading experience. Also well known for her stunning watercolour illustrations, Anna continues her artistry in I Love My Grandma with soft hues and tones that perfectly capture the loving nature between Ollie and his grandma.
The inscription to her own Nanna and Gran in the front of the book is a sweet touch, and the snuggly ending is sure to warrant a few cuddles.
This is a soothing book to read to children before bed, or just before nap time at preschool.
With the addition of I Love My Grandma in the I Love Ollie series, it also makes for a wonderful read in schools for Grandparent’s Day celebrations.
Reviewed by Shelley Stephens
