Grandparents
By July Douglas, Family Program Specialist
My Grandma Moore was a spunky woman who lived in a semi-spooky house that my siblings and I suspected might be haunted. A young mother in 1926, she lost both her husband and her own mother. To support her two little boys, she bought an old house and took in boarders, including the man who became my grandfather. She enjoyed the occasional “High Ball” and read True Crime magazine and had a parakeet named Skipper. In the long- unused bedrooms on the second floor, a chest of drawers held bullet casings and postcards from exotic locations, mementos from her sons’ tours in WWII. She claimed that her own mother had been a friend of Buffalo Bill’s; she taught me how to do embroidery; and she had bottles of milk delivered right to a metal box on her doorstep. My grandmother’s life fascinated me. She belonged to a different time (I can remember her being SHOCKED that her sister wore a pantsuit to a family gathering in the late 60s). She passed away when I was just a teenager, and I’m sure that my recollections are hazy and probably a bit romanticized. There are so many questions I would like to ask her, so many stories I would love to hear again. When I think of Margaret Finnegan Moore, I am reminded of how grandparents link us to where we came from and to who we become.
My niece wrote a beautiful essay after visiting Slea Head, Ireland. In it, she spoke of recognizing her obligation to those who had braved the treacherous sea voyage to come to America to make better lives for themselves and for those who would be their descendants. In her essay she explored the idea that we are not simply individuals, but connected strongly to those who lived before us and to those who will come after, and we have obligations to both.
Grandparents are flesh and blood reminders of this. Long before we were around they lived their lives and made decisions that affect us and shape who we are. And as we go about our daily lives, we are doing the same thing for our descendents, whether it is in how we treat the earth, how we behave as global citizens, how we preserve and honor our history, or how we cherish and share family stories. Whether we come from a large family or not, we are a page in the story of what was and what will be.
September 7 is National Grandparents Day and the 30th anniversary of Jimmy Carter’s official proclamation that it be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. In honor of grandparents, take some time this month to share a family story! And if you are looking for some good grandparent-themed books to read with your children, here are a few good ones to get you started.
Grandfather Counts by Andrea Cheng illustrated by Ange Zhang (Lee & Low Books, 2003)Helen and Gong Gong, her Chinese grandfather, bond as they begin to learn each other’s language.
Abuela by Arthur Dorros (Puffin, 1997)In a fanciful tale of a young girl and grandmother, Spanish words and phrases are beautifully and naturally used to enrich the story.
Grandparents! by Roser Capdevila , illustrated by Anne-Laure Fournier Le Ray (Kane-Miller Book Publishers, 2003)Grandparents come in all shapes and sizes and are all unique! Grandparents! is a good book for prompting discussions about how families are similar and different.
The Grandpa Book by Todd Parr (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2006)The Grandma Book by Todd Parr (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2006)
Bold colors and funny illustrations provide lots of topics for discussion when reading these two delightful peeks at Grandpas and Grandmas.
Good Morning Sunshine: A Grandpa Story by Sharon Mckenna (Red Cygnet Press, 2006)Grandpa shows his young grandchild how to deal with the not-so-happy moments in the day in this brightly illustrated story.
Grandma and Me (Board book) by Karen Katz (Little Simon, 2002)The youngest listener will enjoy discovering surprises hidden under the flaps in this colorful, engaging board book.
Singing With Momma Lou by Linda Jacobs Altman, illustrated by Larry Johnson (Lee and Low, 2002)Young Tamika struggles to deal with her grandmother’s loss of memory in this touching story about an Alzheimer patient and her family.
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Donald Carrick (Clarion, 1989)Anna and her grandmother work hard to surprise Anna’s dad on his birthday. A good book for encouraging predictions, the ending will surprise readers!
Ahwoooooooo! by Yannick Murphy, illustrated by Claudio Munoz (Clarion, 2006)Who better to teach Little Wolf how to howl than Grandfather Wolf! The cozy, moonlit illustrations complement the gentle relationship between Little Wolf and his grandfather.
Banjo Granny by Sarah Martin Busse and Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Illustrated by Barry Root (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)A banjo-toting grandma overcomes obstacles on her journey to visit her grandson. Wonderfully rhythmic, this warm story has the fun feel of a tall tale. Great read-aloud!
Yetsa's Sweater by Sylvia Olsen, illustrated by Joan Larson (Sono Nis Press, 2006)Yetsa is immersed in story as she helps prepare the wool to be used in the traditional Cowichan sweater made by her grandmother.
