Grandfather and I
Name of Book: Grandfather and I
Author: Helen E. Buckley
Illustrator: Jan Ormerod
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
Audience: Ages 3 to 8
Summary: A child considers how Grandfather is the perfect person to spend time with because he is never in a hurry. As they go for long walks and long talks, the special bond between grandparent and grandchild comes shining through.
Literary elements at work in the story: Told through the eyes of a small boy, it seems the whole world is in a hurry. But not when his grandfather is around. They “walk along and walk along and stop…and look…just as long as we like.” The lovely illustrations make you want to grab your hiking boots and hit the trails.
Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability: This is a tale of a normal family: busy mom, working dad, siblings, and a special grandfather. The family in the story is a black family but could be any family anywhere.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5.1-2, 1 Timothy 5:4
Theology: This is a delightful story about intergenerational love, respect, and care and a boy and his grandfather who enjoy God’s creation slowly and purposefully together.
Faith Talk Questions:
- Can you think of times when you’ve been hurried along?
- Is there someone you know who always lets you go at your own speed?
- When was the last time you went for a long walk in the park or the country or the woods? What things did you see? What was your favorite?
Review prepared by Kelly Hames, Union-PSCE in Charlotte.
Grandfather and I by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
