Two great grandpa books

Today we have two picture books about Grandpas!

Grandad’s Camper, by Harry Woodgate, published by Andersen Press

Every summer, a young girl visits her Grandad at his cottage by the sea. They do all sorts of fun things together – play games, enjoy the garden, and share stories – particularly about Grandad’s life with his partner – Gramps. He speaks of an idyllic time when they explored the world together in their caravan, drinking in the sites, meeting different people, and being part of a happy partnership. Grandad thinks those days are over, until his granddaughter persuades him to do up the caravan and have another adventure.

This is a gentle and beautiful exploration of love and companionship and the sadness at the loss of a loved one. It never becomes morbid but instead celebrates the life of a cherished partner who has died and how this can be alleviated with kindness and empathy. The book is dedicated to Gordon Woodgate and, in a lovely gesture of remembrance, the licence plate on the campervan is ‘NOD ROG’. This is a book about love, written with love, and it emanates love. It was truly uplifting to read.

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny, by Emily Ann Davison. Illustrated by Deborah Allwright and published by Nosy Crow in collaboration with the National Trust.

Yo-Yo is a bunny who can never keep still. Grandpa thinks hard about how to help her relax and tries to teach her yoga. Her siblings find their ‘zen’ really quickly but Yo-Yo just can’t keep still (I wish I had her energy). In the end, she dashes off after a butterfly and finds herself lost in a dark forest. How will she find her way back? Can Grandpa’s yoga help?

This is a funny and delightful book that will appeal to little squirmers everywhere. Yo-Yo is exhaustingly active but that is part of her charm – the world holds too much interest to sit still. Yet at its heart is a message that yoga can help calm even the busiest of minds, and at the end are instructions for some of the poses shown in the story – ones that I think an old body like mine can achieve. So I think I will try them out later when I get home! The writing is light and rhythmical and the illustrations are full of energy, like the main character herself. A great book to read to fidgety little ones who could do with some down(ward dog) time.