Picture Books for Grandparents Day

Imagination Soup picked out their favorite warmhearted books for Grandparents Day! https://imaginationsoup.net/picture-books-grandparents/

Updated August 30, 2023
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A song of frutas
Engle, Margarita
Paper Book
From Pura Belpré Award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively, rhythmic picture book about a little girl visiting her grandfather who is a pregonero--a singing street vendor in Cuba--and helping him sell his frutas. When we visit mi abuelo, I help...
A grand day
Reidy, Jean
Paper Book
Celebrate the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren with this charming picture book with stunning diorama illustrations. A million kisses! Hugs! Hooray! Our grand day begins this way. Whether planting a garden, having a picnic, or baking,...
Sari-sari summers
Bontigao, Lynnor
Paper Book
In this love letter to the Philippines (and to grandmothers), a young girl comes up with a brilliantly delicious way to attract customers after a heat wave leaves her lola's store empty. Nora loves spending summers with Lola at her sari-sari store, a treasure trove filled with...
Drawn together
L©®, Minh
Paper Book
When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens - with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.
The most beautiful thing
Yang, Kao Kalia
Paper Book
A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look. Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia...
Nana in the city
Castillo, Lauren
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book * A Huffington Post Best Picture Book about Family  * An NYPL 100 Books for Reading and Sharing  * A 100 Scope Notes Top 20 Book of the Year In this magical picture book, a young boy spends an overnight visit with his nana and is...
Storm
Usher, Sam
Paper Book
A storm is brewing and the wind is picking up, so a boy and his grandfather decide it's the perfect weather for kite flying. There's just one problem: they have to find the kite! Their search brings up many wonderful memories of previous adventures together, and when they finally make it outside,...
Nana Akua goes to school
Walker, Tricia Elam
Paper Book
Winner of the 2021 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award! In this moving story that celebrates cultural diversity, a shy girl brings her West African grandmother--whose face bears traditional tribal markings--to meet her classmates. This is a perfect read for back to school!
Nana, Nenek & Nina
Ferneyhough, Liza
Paper Book
***ALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honor*** Nina loves visiting her two faraway grandmas-one in Malaysia and one in England. Spot the similarities and differences between their homes in this cozy and beautifully illustrated picture book! Nina lives in...
Together with you
Toht, Patricia
Paper Book
From the team that brought us Pick a Pine Tree and Pick a Pumpkin, a big-hearted story about the love between grandparent and grandchild takes us through the seasons. For one grandmother and grandchild, keeping dry in spring showers is easy when dashing through the...
I'll go and come back
LaRocca, Rajani
Paper Book
A tender, beautifully illustrated story about a girl in America and her grandmother in India, whose love stretches between languages and cultures--and across the world. When Jyoti visits her grandmother halfway around the world, she is overwhelmed by the differences between India...
Abuelita and I make flan
Hernández Bergstom, Adriana
Paper Book
Anita loves to bake with her abuela, especially when they are using her grandmother's special recipes for Cuban desserts like flan! Anita is making flan for Abuelo's birthday, but when she accidentally breaks Abuelita's treasured flan serving plate from Cuba, she struggles with...
My Baba's garden
Scott, Jordan
Paper Book
The bond between a child and his grandmother grows as they tend her garden together. A young boy spends his mornings with his beloved Baba, his grandmother. She doesn't speak much English, but they connect through gestures, gardening, eating, and walking to school together....
Our favorite day
Oh, Joowon
Paper Book
Charmingly detailed illustrations help tell a touching tale of the bond between grandparent and grandchild in a quiet yet powerful debut. "Thursdays are my favorite days." "Mine, too." Every morning Papa follows his normal routine. He...
Holding on
Lee, Sophia N.
Paper Book
A young girl in the Philippines uses music to connect with her grandmother as her memory fades in this warm and moving picture book perfect for fans of Pixar's Coco. There is always singing in Lola's house. Sammy Davis Jr. in the morning, Dean Martin in the afternoon, and...
One, two, grandma loves you
Becker, Shelly
Paper Book
From acclaimed creators Shelly Becker and Dan Yaccarino comes this joyful picture book about a girl and her grandmother as they plan the perfect visit together.   One, two, Grandma loves you. Three, four, visit more.
I really want to see you, Grandma
Gomi, Tar¿
Paper Book
Yumi and her grandmother have the same great idea: They want to see each other. So they each head out to do just that, only to completely miss each other along the way! No problem--they'll just head back home and wait for the other to return. The trouble is that they have the same great idea--again-...
Plt̀anos are love
Reynoso-Morris, Alyssa
Paper Book
A delicious picture book about the ways plantains shape Latinx culture, community, and family, told through a young girl's experiences in the kitchen with her abuela. Abuela says, "plátanos are love." I thought they were food. But Abuela says they feed us in more...
Abuelo
Dorros, Arthur
Paper Book
Arthur Dorros's skillful blend of Spanish and English and Raúl Colón's poignant paintings illuminate how the special bond between an abuelo and a nieto reaches across miles. Together, a young boy and his abuelo (grandfather) go camping, ride horses, and even confront a mountain lion. Soon,...
Grandpa across the ocean
Yum, Hyewon
Paper Book
Though separated by language, age, and an ocean, a child and grandparent find common ground in the warm, witty picture book Grandpa Across the Ocean.   Grandpa lives on the other side of the ocean.   He takes naps all the...
Crouching tiger
Compestine, Ying Chang.
Paper Book
A Chinese-American boy gains a new understanding of his Chinese grandfather in this celebratory story of family, martial arts, and the Chinese New Year. Vinson is very excited when his grandfather comes from China for a visit. When Grandpa practices tai chi in the garden, Vinson...
The ocean calls : a haenyeo mermaid story
Cho,Tina
Paper Book
A breathtaking picture book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world. Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The haenyeo dive off the coast...
Ten ways to hear snow
Camper, Cathy
Paper Book
A snowy day, a trip to Grandma's, time spent cooking with one another, and space to pause and discover the world around you come together in this perfect book for reading and sharing on a cozy winter day. One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It's the sound of snow -- the...
My grandma and me
Javaherbin, Mina
Paper Book
In a true tale of a young girl in Iran and her grandmother, this beautiful ode to family celebrates small moments of love that become lifelong memories. In this big universe full of many moons, I have traveled and seen many wonders, but I have never loved anything or anyone...
I dream of Popo
Blackburne, Livia
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne and illustrator Julia Kuo, here is I Dream of Popo. This delicate, emotionally rich picture book celebrates a special connection that crosses time zones and oceans as Popo and her granddaughter hold each other in their hearts...

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