Children's Books discussion

We've had a 'grandparents' theme - but I've enjoyed some very special books that have been told from the perspective of a person who is older but who is not (known to be, at least) a grandparent.

I love the Early Reader series by Cynthia Rylant that includes stories like Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book.

I just discovered The Lemon Sisters and that's even better, as the 80 year old woman makes friend with three little girls who are simply neighbors, not grandchildren or students.

Is this idea that old people are people first, and only maybe grandparents second, one that is not often explored in books for young children? Do you know any other titles?

I don't even know what keyword to use to try to search for books like these.

The Bedspread is an absolutely wonderful picture book. It is about two elderly sisters. I don't think there are any children in that one.

What about Miss Rumphius? I think she is a great-aunt in that, so maybe too close to the "grandparent" role? Ditto Ultra-Violet Catastrophe! Or, The Unexpected Walk with Great-Uncle Magnus Pringle. Do you want books where the elderly are not related at all, or is it okay so long as they are not grandparents?

I'll see if I can think of any others...

Mainly I just don't want to be redundant with the grandparent master list we already have. The idea that children and the mature or elderly can be just friends is one that appeals to me. And the idea that grown-ups can be interesting to young readers, even if there aren't children in the book, also appeals to me.

Miss Rumphious is a pretty good example. Excellent book. I just remembered another I read not too long ago that fits: Maxie. Miriam's review is better than mine.

Thank you both for the suggestions - they all sound apt and wonderful! (Off to investigate availability. :)

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Mainly I just don't want to be redundant with the grandparent master list we already have. The idea that children and the mature or elderly can be just friends is one that appeals to me. And the ..."

Yes, it is definitely an appealing subject for children's books. Hope you are able to find the ones we recommended, and many more!

We just read Zen Ties, where three children make friends with an elderly grouchy neighbor with Stillwater's help. However, I don't see elderly listed anywhere in the library record.

I got a French Canadian movie out of the library today and just realised that it is actually based on a novel Noemie #1 Le Secret De Madame Lumbago (Naomi and Mrs. Lumbago). Naomi is seven and her best friend is the elderly Mrs. Lumbago. Looks promising. I think there might be an entire series featuring Naomi (Noemie), but I think only the first one has been translated so far.

Thanks!

There are actually 21 books in the Noémie series!! GR has some of them in the database, but not all (they were perhaps lost during the Amazon fiasco, as GR deleted unrescued books that had not been shelved). I will try to manually add the others at some time in the near or far future (hopefully, I will be able to get all of the books through ILL, which should not be a problem, hopefully, as Gilles Tibo is from Quebec).

The only other book of the series that appears to have been translated into English is Naomi and the Secret Message (not sure of the French title, but if it is, indeed, the second book of the series, the original French title is L'incroyable journée).

Wow, Noémie must be beloved. :)

Well, I feel dense. I just realized *why* this subject appeals to me - I don't have any young children or grandchildren, and would love to make friends with a neighbor child so I could share all the picture books I read with him or her!

So, maybe looking at the topic through that lens will help you remember more titles. :)

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Well, I feel dense. I just realized *why* this subject appeals to me - I don't have any young children or grandchildren, and would love to make friends with a nei..."

;-)

Just read and loved Miss Twiggley's Tree featuring a shy old woman who lives in a treehouse but then learns the value of community and helping others. It's from the '60s but I think it has a timeless charm.

My ILL has a copy, so I've ordered it - Thank you!

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "My ILL has a copy, so I've ordered it - Thank you!"

I hope you enjoy it!

Incidentally, I know you've already read it, but I think that the middle grade novel Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters would count as a story of inter-generational friendship, so I wanted to include it on the list here. It wasn't my favorite novel, but I did appreciate the friendship between the elderly Victoria and young Cornelia.

You're right, that absolutely belongs in this list. Thanks for being so alert!

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "You're right, that absolutely belongs in this list. Thanks for being so alert!"

No problem! I so recently finished the novel, then saw your post here so it reminded me :-)

I just read a sweet little old story about a country girl who befriends the old 'hermit' next door. Carrie's Gift might appeal to lots of us because it's illustrated by Tasha Tudor.

I've now read and enjoyed Miss Twiggley's Tree and, even more so, Ultra-Violet Catastrophe! Or, The Unexpected Walk with Great-Uncle Magnus Pringle. Thank you for excellent recommendations!

Another series, unfortunately obscure, is about a bachelor farmer and his lively little cat. I was lucky to read the edition of Pettson Goes Camping published by Opal and, as Abigail explains in her excellent reviews, that translation has some special zing.

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I've now read and enjoyed Miss Twiggley's Tree and, even more so, Ultra-Violet Catastrophe! Or, The Unexpected Walk with Great-Uncle Magnus Pringle. Thank you for excellent recommendations!
"

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them both, Cheryl. Two of my favorites :-)

Chandra wrote: "I'm not completely sure, but I think Patricia Polacco has at least one book about an inter-generational friendship. Lisa? Anyone else? Can you confirm a title?"

Maybe Chicken Sunday? The three children make friends with the elderly shop owner (after he originally thought they had been part of the gang that was bullying him). And of course, the grandmother is wonderful as well.

Chandra wrote: "I'm not completely sure, but I think Patricia Polacco has at least one book about an inter-generational friendship. Lisa? Anyone else? Can you confirm a title?"

I was thinking of Chicken Sunday too. Let me check my shelves...

I think Chicken Sunday might be the best one. There is also Mrs. Katz and Tush and January's Sparrow and in a way all those teacher-student books. There may be more. There are over 50 Patricia Polacco books on my shelves and the details of some are escaping my memory.

Chicken Sunday is indeed a good example. I'll read the rest of Polacco's books that my library has, too, thanks!

Christmas Farm is special, and prompts me to bump this thread.

Wild Will fits and is cute.

And the delightful series in which Mother Bruce adopts the geese is pretty close.

These are both about grouchy older men whose hearts are softened by little children.

Oh, and how could I forget Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by the estimable Mem Fox?! Each and every very old person there is a real individual, and their very young friend is, well, adorable.

Thank you for adding to the list, Cheryl. I think this is so important to share books featuring the elderly as true members of society. I actually was just thinking about this again the other day before I saw your posts. My kids were sick and, while we are generally a low-media household, I let them watch some programs. There’s a series based off the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books that’s actually pretty good and they’ve had a few episodes featuring elderly folks at the community center. It’s great seeing the kids (and Mouse etc) interacting with them, laughing, sharing stories. So much of the time if it’s not a grandparent we don’t see the elderly in books or media for kids — at least those from American culture.

I just started reading this and so far this is a wonderful middle grade Norwegian novel where in a small village, Astrid is the only child and her best friend is her elderly neighbor, Astrid the Unstoppable.

Thank you both!

Cheryl wrote: "Thank you both!"

Astrid the Unstoppable is really fun so far and reminds me a bit of Astrid Lindgren's Seacrow Island.

Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup - the boy thinks his grandmother is weird but his best friend thinks the grandmother is wonderful, chicken feet in the soup at all. This is a family favorite, being Italian-American kids, this story is about our Nonnie!

Sounds fun, ty!

Cheryl wrote: "Wild Will fits and is cute.

And the delightful series in which Mother Bruce adopts the geese is pretty close.

These are both about grouchy older men whose hearts ar..."

I love the Mother Bruce stories! They are hilarious.

How can I forget Linnea in Monet's Garden, but some reviews do seem to find it problematic that Linnea and her elderly neighbour travel to France and share a hotel room.

My Friend the Painter by Lygia Bojunga. The greatest book by the greatest writer for children and young people in Brazil (Latin America? Southern Hemisphere?). Heavy stuff (suicide...), just be brave and the book will carry you through it. There's nothing quite like this;

Mattie and Grandpa by Roberto Piumini, from Italy;

Can You Whistle, Johanna? by Ulf Stark, from Sweden;

A Little Fear by Patricia Wrightson, from Australia;

The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett, from Australia;

The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant.

And I just finished reading a marvellous picture book by Marianne Dubuc, Up the Mountain Path. It's pure inter-Generational friendships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7_RT...

Thank you! I will investigate these!

Mattie And Grandpa
Can You Whistle, Johanna?
A Little Fear
The Ghost's Child
The Old Woman Who Named Things
Up the Mountain Path

(for the links)

Cheryl wrote: "Thank you! I will investigate these!

Mattie And Grandpa
Can You Whistle, Johanna?
A Little Fear
The Ghost's Child
[book:The Old Woman W..."

I will need to investigate these books as well.

You're both welcome.

Hmmm, I properly learned how to add a book...

So, here's the Brazilian book I already recommended:

My Friend the Painter - The English translation is available on Open Library!

and this one I also love:

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

And this one from Italy . . . I don't think there's a translation to English. It's sublime.

Mio nonno era un ciliegio

Patricia Polacco writes a lot of books that include inter-generational friendships. She's written over 60 books and I'd have to go back and think about which ones.

But she has grandparent-grandchildren books, books where the child is friends with another child's grandmother, books where children have relationships with older (grandparent or parent age) people in their neighborhoods, communities where different generations of people are friends, children & teacher relationships, etc. Sorry if any are already mentioned above; I didn't carefully check the entire thread. If/when I have time and my memory serves, I'll try to eventually list some, though if you look up her books and their descriptions I think most could be found that way.

Lisa wrote: "Patricia Polacco writes a lot of books that include inter-generational friendships. She's written over 60 books and I'd have to go back and think about which ones.

But she has gran..."

I would say that many Patricia Polaccco books feature friendships forged between generations.

Manybooks wrote: "I would say that many Patricia Polaccco books feature friendships forged between generations."

Yes. There are many. That's why I didn't take/couldn't now take the time to list them all.

Of course there is also Heidi, for indeed, many of Heidi's most positive relationships are with elderly individuals (her grandfather, Peter's grandmother, Clara's grandmother, the Frankfurt physician).

I'm reading Dream Within a Dream. It fits like a glove.

Yay!
Lots of wonderful suggestions.

But remember, this thread was started for the more rare books that are about 'friendships' not based on the characters already knowing each other, not grandparent/grandchild, or elderly aunt, In fact, a child character is not even key to the story.

My goal here is to find the books that feature the elderly as actual individual people, beyond their role as grandparent or even just as mentor. I'm trying to find books that remind young readers to understand that older people have their own perspectives, their own fears and dreams and prejudices and lives of experience....

Cheryl, you'll love A Little Fear. It's exactly what you're looking for.

Guilherme wrote: "Cheryl, you'll love A Little Fear. It's exactly what you're looking for."

Thank you! Others by Wrightson are on openlibrary.org, but I'll have to make a special request for this title.

Cheryl wrote: "Guilherme wrote: "Cheryl, you'll love A Little Fear. It's exactly what you're looking for."

Thank you! Others by Wrightson are on openlibrary.org, but I'll have to make a special request for this ..."

Make Bojunga's MY FRIEND THE PAINTER your priority as well. :)

Yes.
I have now read and reviewed it. I gave it five stars.

Cheryl wrote: "But remember, this thread was started for the more rare books that are about 'friendships' not based on the characters already knowing each other, not grandpare..."

With that in mind, I found the following in our library catalog using the keyword terms "old age juvenile fiction."

Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin
Those Darn Squirrels Fly South
Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door

Worst Person in the World by James Stevenson
The Worst Person's Christmas
The Worst Goes South
Worse Than the Worst (this book includes his nephew)
The Worst Person In The World At Crab Beach

Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
Cloud Chaser by Anne-Fleur Drillon
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards
Say Hello, Lily by Deborah Lakritz (shy child visits assisted living center)
Night Noises by Mem Fox
The Retired Kid by Jon Agee (the retired kid spends time in a retirement community)
Cat Up a Tree by Ann Hassett

Excellent!
(I must remember that librarians know extra tricks!)

Cheryl wrote: "Excellent!
(I must remember that librarians know extra tricks!)"

I did try some other search terms, and then looked up the subject headings for one of the Mr. Putter and Tabby books, and that gave me the search term "old age."