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The Truth About Grandparents

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In this perfect gift for grandparents and grandchildren alike, a loving child reveals the truth behind assumptions that old people just aren't any fun.

Grandparents are slow. Grandparents are scared of new things. And grandparents definitely don't dance -- right? A simple, playful storyline that children will love anticipating makes this a perfect read-aloud for modern families to share together. With sly humor and breezy, dynamic artwork in the tradition of Quentin Blake, this book is a fresh celebration of the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2019

3 people are currently reading
133 people want to read

About the author

Elina Ellis

30Ìýbooks4Ìýfollowers

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5 stars
74 (26%)
4 stars
125 (45%)
3 stars
66 (23%)
2 stars
11 (3%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Lindsay L.
811 reviews1,539 followers
August 19, 2019
3 stars.

A cute children’s story with fun illustrations about grandparents.

This book focuses on many aspects of what elderly grandparents don’t/can’t do (dance, kiss, yoga, be loud, go on adventures, etc). The idea is that they are “too old� for these things, but they are amazing people that we love.

My parents are still quite young and able (they love to dance and sing and be loud!) so it confused my children as they don’t view their grandparents the way the book describes. While I appreciate the idea behind the story, it didn’t really work for us.

Cute idea that many will love and enjoy but missed its mark for us.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for providing my children and I with a physical copy to read and review!
Profile Image for Kirsti.
2,798 reviews128 followers
June 26, 2019
I ordered this from England based on reviews, and it was worth it. It's a lighthearted look at stereotypes about older people. My favorite one: "They are NOT BENDY," accompanied by an illustration of the narrator, Grandma, and Granddad at a yoga class. Nice to see people of all shapes and sizes in this book.
Profile Image for Nancy Kotkin.
1,405 reviews24 followers
November 27, 2019
Whimsical picture book that focuses on breaking stereotypes of grandparents (such as slow, not bendy, scared of new things, and not much fun), but it assumes that children have those stereotypes in the first place (which not all children do). Good example of humor driven from the illustrations depicting something entirely different than the text relates.
Profile Image for Abby Johnson.
3,373 reviews343 followers
Read
March 25, 2020
Cute and simple, but saying a world with its illustrations, I bought this book for my library based on Angie Manfredi's recommendation of it as a fat-positive story. In a book about all the amazing things grandparents can do (dance! snuggle! yoga!), the pictures show a fat and happy grandma doing all the things, too. Love it.
Profile Image for BrookesEducationLibrary.
457 reviews49 followers
March 18, 2019
This, if nothing else, is a beautiful tribute to older people, they're not all slow, clumsy, boring or scared of new things! Wonderful illustrations with a wonderful message - we can have a lot of fun and learn a lot of love from older people :)
Profile Image for Moonkiszt.
2,737 reviews327 followers
August 6, 2020
Featured in a grandma reads session. . .

This is a cute book that "explains" all the the ways grandparents are not like other humans - they are running out of juice, energy, gas (?!), and ooomph.

What keeps the kids laughing is how the words say one thing, explain the lack, and the illustrations do exactly the opposite. On the page that talks about kids needing to understand that grandparents are very slow, and that you need to slow down for them, the grandparents pictured are skateboarding in arcs over the kids on the page. Laughs all around! Mine asked me where I keep my skateboard. . . .I said on the front porch. Their faces fell slack, because there are skateboards on my front porch. Then they got it. Those belong to their uncle. HA! Got 'em.

3.5 stars for clever juxtaposition.
Profile Image for Cheriee Weichel.
2,519 reviews43 followers
January 20, 2020
This book is just delightful! It's all about the juxtaposition of the text with the illustrations. At the same time as a child is telling us what people say about about old people, the illustrations reveal that it sure isn't true about his grandparents.
Profile Image for Ellie L.
302 reviews17 followers
November 20, 2019
A joyous picturebook that celebrates living without limits and rebelling against societal expectations of aging. Passions in life do not have to dwindle with the passing of time, and this story shows just how wonderful and capable humans can be.
Profile Image for Phoebe Ledster.
59 reviews5 followers
March 29, 2019
This is a celebration of ageing and what it means to always be a child at heart! This is a fun book with lovely illustrations and it breaks down a few stereotypes about "old people". I believe that a lot of young children would enjoy this story and also enjoy talking about it and sharing their own experiences and relationships with older people. What do they think it will be like to grow old? Will it matter to them? Lot of great discussions to have.
Profile Image for Alyssa Gudenburr.
2,297 reviews13 followers
September 9, 2019
A super funny book that challenges all the stereotypes of seniors. The lady on the drums was my favorite illustration. This would make a great storytime book for a grandparents or family theme.

I got a little emotional at the end of the story because my grandfather is having a harder time getting around. Make sure to hug your grandparents if you still have them often.
Profile Image for Bethany M. Edwards.
78 reviews18 followers
September 10, 2019
From the first page with portraits of the narrators "old" grandparents, this book is a bundle of laughs. If you are looking for the perfect read aloud to have children collapsing in giggles at the thought of their grandparents ice skating, skateboarding, and flying through the air on roller coasters, this is the one.
From flipping pancakes to smooches, the illustrations are simple and fun. Not only is this book a celebration of the relationship between grandchild and grandparents, it celebrates the relationship with each other as well. Additionally, the body positive aspect of this book is the cherry on top. I highly recommend this loving adventure is on your shelf for the next time the grandparents come to visit.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions, as always are my own.
Profile Image for Diane.
2,113 reviews5 followers
September 22, 2019
At the heart of this story for young children are (pardon my bluntness) 2 extremely funny looking, old grandparents. The grandmother is obese and the grandfather very slim. The story uses statements and adjectives like: GRANDPARENTS are: slow, clumsy, not bendy, scared of new things. don't dance, not into romance, not adventurous etc. Each picture then shows the grandparents doing the opposite of what was initially stated about them and, then the story ending on a positive note stating: grandparents are amazing.

Even though the book definitely shows grandparents in a positive light, I didn't care for the negative tone/cues throughout. In my opinion, there are much nicer grandparent books out there for young children. The illustrations are quite comical.
Profile Image for Morgan.
347 reviews29 followers
April 19, 2020
full review on thegraduatedbookworm.com

First, I want to thanks Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! I've seriously been loving all the the children's books lately!

Alright, so this book is definitely hilarious right from the beginning. Basically it's telling you all the things about grandparents that kids might think they don't do. I think an older group of kids would get it more, but if it's being read in a funny tone by a parent or teacher, then they might make the connection with the words and photos.

Overall, this was a cute, short and funny read! I think that parents and children would find this a really funny story! It was short, very colourful and hilarious!
Profile Image for Becky B.
8,830 reviews162 followers
November 28, 2019
A child shares the things he's heard about old people. That old people are slow, like quiet, and don't like new things. But his grandparents seem to defy the stereotype, and he knows a secret.

This is a fantastic read for kids whose grandparents still know how to have fun, live on the wild side, and stay young at heart. Delightful illustrations clash marvelously and hilariously with the rumors this child has heard. Snatch this up for kids to read with grandparents, or just read when thinking about them, or when they are in need of a smile.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
308 reviews13 followers
Read
February 13, 2020
This delightful little story about grandparents discusses ageist stereotypes whole gleefully shattering them in the illustrations, building to a joyful crescendo in art and word. It's a great antidote to a lot of the discourse around older adults, and provides really lovely illustrations of people going about their lives.

There is limited text on each page; some words are larger or made bold, drawing readers in, and the illustrations are a delight. This would be fun to read to one or two kids, but could also be great for a storytime involving many.
Profile Image for Mehsi.
14.2k reviews436 followers
February 22, 2020
Een superleuk boek waarin een jongen verteld over wat er nou wordt gedacht van grootouders en ondertussen zien we iets heel anders op de illustraties. Jep, de tekst gaat over de fabels en de illustraties laten ons het ware verhaal zien. En dat is dat grootouders best fantastisch kunnen zijn en nog steeds van alles kunnen en willen. Ik vond het superlief geschreven en ook erg leuk gedaan (met illustraties x en tekst y). De platen aan het begin vond ik ook mooi gedaan, zoveel details!
Dus, wil jij ook wel eens weten wat er nou wordt gezegd over grootouders en of dat waar is of niet? Lees dan dit boek!
Profile Image for Kris Dersch.
2,371 reviews23 followers
July 14, 2020
Cute. Fairly simplistic. A lot of young kids have pretty young and active grandparents so I don't know that the stereotype of how they are viewed would work for a lot of kids and for mine whose grandpa is 80 and does have some restrictions on what he physically can do it really didn't land well. There's nothing wrong with the book but I think the idea may be oversimplified...portraying grandparents of different ages and abilities and how they all love their grandkids would have worked better for me.
12 reviews
December 6, 2020
This book is about the stereotypes surrounding old people and how they are untrue. It gives funny examples accompanied by interesting illustrations to show that old people can in fact do these things. I liked this book as I thought it taught an important lesson in a fun way which is don’t listen to stereotypes. The book focuses on one family but background characters seem to have diverse backgrounds. I would recommend reading this book to children as it a funny book with a good meaning.
Profile Image for FM Family.
1,067 reviews11 followers
January 24, 2020
This was a cute one I picked up on a whim because my 2.5 year old is a big fan of her grandparents and also of grandparent books. It was short, but sweet and funny and always nice to have a grandparents book that's not about someone getting sick or dying. This one is just about hanging out and having fun and you do you. Bonus points for the reference that grandparents even like romance!
Profile Image for Diane.
7,260 reviews
May 2, 2021
"I've been hearing lots of strange things about old people."

People say grandparents aren't much fun, they're slow and clumsy. The narrator lists all kinds of things people say about grandparents and what they can't do and what they don't like, but the illustrations tell a very different story about this boy's grandparents.

Would be a fun read aloud for Grandparents Day.
Profile Image for Sirah.
2,484 reviews20 followers
March 6, 2022
They say that grandparents are boring and slow, but is that really true?

I enjoyed this silly book that explored all the ways grandparents are free to become childlike again. I felt a pang because my own grandparents were pretty much grumpy and slow, but I hope this book encourages people of all ages to enjoy a bit of energy while it lasts.
Profile Image for Kim.
2,609 reviews7 followers
October 21, 2019
Little boy's grandparents defy the stereotype of old people are boring. His grandparents' dance and rollerskate, kiss, play in a band and are up for any kind of adventure. Good for grandparents' day (September)
Profile Image for Sarah.
3,545 reviews
December 4, 2019
Don't believe everything you hear about old people! This child knows a secret: old people are amazing! Follow along in the pictures as his grandparents defy all the stereotypes of old people. A fun book that challenges our beliefs and gets us to thing outside the box.
Profile Image for Anthony.
6,753 reviews31 followers
January 8, 2020
A behind the scenes look, at the lives and truths about grandparents. They're not always slow, and scared and all the other negative and questionable things that are said about them. This book is designed to reveal the truth about grandparents.
Profile Image for Candace Worrell.
258 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2020
Cute picture book that would be good for a story time about grandparents or other various old people. The juxtaposition of the pictures with the text creates humor since what is depicted is the exact opposite of what is said.
Profile Image for Holly.
666 reviews
August 4, 2020
The grandparents in this book are very appealing, but I don't know that many grandparents with grandchildren the appropriate age for this book are really so staid and old that they need their reputation salvaged in the ways this book attempts to do.
Profile Image for Erin .
689 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2020
Grandparents come in all varieties. This was cute about a set of grandparents who are not slow or boring or tired. But no story line. No rhyme. Good for talking about contrast tho “grandparents are no fun. But look at this picture of them on the rollercoaster�
Profile Image for Abbigail.
1,195 reviews3 followers
September 11, 2023
Short and simple book but fun. Hopefully I responded well to the kids who said, "That lady is big and fat" by saying "Yes, she is bigger than him." The kids didn't respond to this one as well as I thought they would, but they were engaged for the most part.
Profile Image for Billie.
930 reviews95 followers
April 14, 2019
This was really cute and kids will enjoy the contrast between what the text is saying and what is happening in the illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

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