These Grandparents Day Picture Books all feature loving grandparents and celebrate the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren.
There is something extra special about the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren.
I was lucky enough to have wonderful relationships with both my maternal and paternal grandparents, as well as some of my great grandparents. Just a few months ago, I lost my grandmother, my last living grandparent. It still breaks my heart every time I remember that I won't ever walk into her kitchen again and have her there to greet me with a loaf of fresh baked bread. I will, however, treasure every memory I have of the time I spent with my grandparents for as long as I live.
My own kids are really lucky because we live just around the corner from my parents and they get a lot of quality time together. We definitely do not take this for granted!
Because we know just how wonderful grandparents can be, we compiled a list of our favorite picture books that feature grandparents. These Grandparents Day Picture Books represent a variety of different cultures, and the many different forms that grandparent - grandchild relationships can take. All of them celebrate and honor grandparents!
These picture books make wonderful gifts for grandparents, as well as gifts from grandparents to their grandchildren. If you live far away from grandparents, you can read these aloud together for a virtual story time. You could even make a video of a grandparent reading aloud a book to send to grandchildren - a video like this is guaranteed to become a treasured family heirloom.
Note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.
Grandparents Day Picture Books
When Lola Visits
By Michelle Sterling | Illustrated by Aaron Asis
This is a brand new favorite at our house! A young girl looks forward to summer because that is when her grandmother visits from the Philippines. Each beautifully illustrated page describes heartwarming activities the grandmother and her granddaughter share together - cooking, eating, singing, etc. It's perfect!
Nana in the City
By Lauren Castillo
This Caldecott Honor book is magical! Grandma lives in an apartment in the city, but her young grandson is scared of the busy, noisy city. Together, they take a walk, armed with special red cape, and grandma shows her grandson how to be brave and find the beauty in the city.
Grandpa Green
By Lane Smith
This Caldecott Honor book is an amazing story about a Great-Grandparent. Memories are shared about a great-grandfather's extraordinar life through whimsical topiary trees. It's a unique and clever book and we fell head over heels for it.
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree
By Jamie L.B. Deenihan | Illustrated by Lorraine Rocha
This is the cutest story about a little girl who gets an unwanted birthday gift from her grandma. But grandma knows that when life gives you a lemon tree, you can always make lemonade, and this little girl is about to learn that big lesson too.
When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox
By Jamie L.B. Deenihan | Illustrated by Lorraine Rocha
A little boy is disappointed when his grandpa gives him a toolbox for his birthday, but only until he realizes that his grandpa gave him exactly what he needed to build the very thing he wants with his own two hands. It's such a clever book with a wonderful message.
Baking Day at Grandma's
By Anika Denise | Illustrated by Christopher Denise
Baking is something I enjoyed doing with my grandparents, so I especially appreciate this sweet tale of a family of bears visiting grandma for a day of baking in the winter.
Drawn Together
By Minh Le | Illustrated by Dan Santat
We love this book - it inspires my kids to make art every time we read it! A young boy is dropped off to spend the day with his grandfather, but he's frustrated and sad that his grandfather doesn't speak English. They're having a hard time connecting and communicating until the boy begins drawing himself as a superhero. Excited, his grandpa joins in and draws himself as a superhero too and through drawing, their able to finally share a story together.
It's a beautiful story about how art can bridge the gap between generations and languages. The illustrations are phenomenal!
Looking for Yesterday
By Alison Jay
I will buy and read every book that Alison Jay every writes/illustrates.
This one is a sweet and tender story about a little boy who has such a wonderful day that he becomes determined to figure out how to repeat yesterday. He goes to his wise grandfather for help, but when grandpa begins to share his own precious memories, the little boy realizes that each new day has magic of its own.
Grandpa Grumps
By Katrina Moore | Illustrated by Xindi Yan
Daisy is so excited for her grandpa (Yeh-Yeh) to visit from China, but when he arrives he seems kind of grumpy. Daisy is determined to make him smile before it's time for him to head back home and her attempts will surely elicit some giggles. A really heartwarming story - it reminded of me of a Pixar short film!
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
By Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola sure knew how to write a perfect picture book, didn't he?
This story is based on his own childhood. He loved to visit is grandparents, his grandma and grandpa lived downstairs, and his great-grandma lived upstairs. Upstairs Nana was his favorite and he is devastated when she dies. But she sends him a message (a shooting star) and feels very comforted.
Don't Call Me Grandma
By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson | Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
I had a grandmother who seemed pretty unapproachable when I was younger, so I appreciated this story about a grandma who is loving, but not very cuddly. It was inspired by the author's relationship with her own grandmother and is a really wonderful story!
The Raft
By Jim LaMarche
Nicky is not excited to spend the summer with his grandma in the woods of Wisconsin. She doesn't even have a tv! But when he discovers a raft on the river nearby, Nicky finds out just how well his grandma knows the river and their summer turns into a real adventure.
I especially love that this is a story based on the author's own childhood summer adventures.
Seasons with Grandad: 4-Book Boxset
By Sam Usher
This 4 book series is spectacular! There's a book for each of the four seasons and in each book, a little boy and his grandad explore the season together. Snowball fights, summer picnics, rainy day walks, and windy autumn days flying kites.
I highly recommend these books!
Max and the Tag-Along Moon
By Floyd Cooper
When Max has to leave his grandpa's house and go home, his grandpa promises that the moon at his house will follow Max all the way home. This is a really sweet book and it beautifully illustrates a heartwarming bond between grandfather and grandson.
The Remember Balloons
By Jessie Oliveros | Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
This is a beautiful and gentle book that touches on a grandparent's memory loss and Alzheimer's disease. Whether you experience the pain of memory loss in your family or not, this is a really wonderful book to share with children.
Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story
By Andrew Weiner | April Chu
Fishing with grandpa is something my kids have grown up doing, so this book about a family fishing trip is extra special to us!
Nana Akua Goes to School
By Tricia Elam Walker | Illustrated by April Harrison
Zura loves her grandmother, but she feels nervous about bringing her to Grandparents Day at school. Zura's Nana has permanent traditional tribal markings on her face and she worries that the kids in her class might be scared, or even make fun of her grandma. Nana Akua, however, knows exactly what to do when she meets Zura's classmates and everyone has a really special experience learning about Nana Akua's heritage.
This is a really beautiful book with gorgeous folk-art style illustrations. It's a wonderful read aloud book.
My Day With Gong Gong
By Sennah Yee | Illustrated by Elaine Chen
May is spending the day with her grandfather, Gong Gong, but he doesn't speak English and she doesn't speak Chinese. As they take a walk through Chinatown together, May feels increasingly frustrated. She's hungry and she doesn't understand what anyone is saying and she doesn't think Gong Gong understands. But, when he surprises her with a gift, she realizes that he understands more than she realized and they make a really special connection. Such a sweet book!
The Giant Hug
By Sandra Horning | Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
This is a really cute book about a little pig who wants to send his grandmother a hug through the mail. The surprise ending will delight you!
This is a great book for a grandchild to gift to a grandparent.
Our Favorite Day
By Joowon Oh
This is a perfectly charming story about the relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter. Papa has an ordinary routine that he follows every day, but Thursday's are extra special. Every Thursday, Papa spends the day with his granddaughter. It's such a joyful story.
Grandpa's Top Threes
By Wendy Meddour | Illustrated by Daniel Egneus
When Henry's grandpa moves in, Henry is so excited. But his excitement quickly wanes when he sees how withdrawn his grandpa is. In an attempt to get him talking again, Henry starts a game - tell me your top three in any category - and coaxes his grandpa to begin sharing again.
I Really Want to See You, Grandma
By Taro Gomi
Another fun book from Taro Gomi! A little girl misses her grandma and decides she wants to go see her. Unfortunately, her grandma has the exact same idea and when they both head out, they completely miss each other on the way. It's a fun read aloud, with a happy ending of course!
A Gift from Abuela
By Cecilia Ruiz
Abuela and Nina have an extra special bond, and Abuela wants to give Nina an extra special gift. She saves up her pesos to buy the gift, but when Mexico changes its money system, all the pesos she's saved become worthless. But, both Nina and her Abuela realize that the most special gift of all is the love they have for one another.
My Grandma and Me
By Mina Javaherbin | Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey
In this book, Mina Javaherbin shares a poetic story about growing up in Iran with her beloved grandmother. It's a beautiful tribute and a wonderful glimpse into Iranian and Islamic traditions.
We Became Jaguars
By Dave Eggers | Illustrated by Woodrow White
A captivating story about an imaginative grandmother and the power of storytelling. When Grandma comes to visit, she shows her grandso how to transform into a jaguar. The reader will have a wonderful time traveling through both real and imagined landscapes in this clever story.
Where Are You From?
By Yamile Saied Mendez | Illustrated by Jaime Kim
A young girl is constantly being asked "Where are you from?" and she's never quite sure exactly how to answer. But, when she asks her Abuelo for help, he gives her a very surprising response!
This is a powerful and lyrical book about self-acceptance and identity, and the grandparent - grandchild relationship it centers around is so inspiring.
I Dream of Popo
By Livia Blackburne | Illustrated by Julia Kuo
When a young girl and her family emigrate from Taiwan, she has to leave her grandmother, Popo, behind. But even though they are separated by miles, they continue to have a special connection.
This is a wonderful book for children and grandparents who don't live near each other.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
By Norton Juster | Illustrated by Chris Raschka
This Caldecott winner, is a delight to read. In this sweet book Grandma and Grandpa's ordinary kitchen window is transformed into something magical for their grandchild. A must read book!
In Plain Sight: A Game
By Richard Jackson | Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Sophie lives with her parents and her grandfather. He sits in his wheelchair by the window and every day he waves to her as she heads off to school, and he's the first person she sees when she gets home. Each day they play a game together in which he tells her a story about something that he has "lost" during the day and then Sophie has to find it (and the reader can search for the missing items along with Sophie).
It's a really sweet and simple story about the joy in daily rituals and the warm and loving relationship between grandfather and granddaughter.
Mango, Abuela, and Me
By Meg Medina | Illustrated by Angela Dominguez
When Mia's Abuela moves in with her family, there is a language barrier - Mia doesn't speak much Spanish and her Abuela doesn't speak much English. One day, Mia brings home a parrot from the pet shop with hopes that it will help her bridge the gap. In the end, they learn to communicate all the most important things.
Saturdays Are For Stella
By Candy Wellins | Illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan
This is a beautiful and heartfelt book for those that have lost a grandparent. Very gentle and hopeful.
Saturdays are George's favorite day because that's the day he gets to spend with his grandmother, Stella. But one day, his father tells him that there won't be anymore Saturdays with Stella. George's dad helps him with his grief and in the end, George is able to find a way enjoy the precious memories he has of the time he spent with Stella.
Grandma's Purse
By Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Not only is this book so fun to read, it's a delight to pore over all the illustrations and the contents of grandma's purse! This bright, cheerful book is one of our favorite Grandparents Day Picture Books.
The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's
By Stan and Jan Berenstain
I grew up with the Berenstain Bears, and my mom still has my old childhood collection at her house, so my kids will always associate reading Berenstain Bears books with Grandparents!
This book about a week at Grandma's house is good old fashioned fun.
The Bagel King
By Andrew Larsen | Illustrated by Sandy Nichols
Every Sunday Eli and his grandfather enjoy bagels together. But when his grandfather falls and isn't able to bring the bagels anymore, Eli has to take matters into his own hands.
Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy
By Laurel Snyder | Illustrated by Emily Hughes
This book is a little longer than most of the other books on this list - it's more of a beginning chapter book (with only 4 short chapters), but it's so good, I couldn't leave it off the list.
We love Charlie & Mouse, two adorable brothers, and this book about a visit from their Grandpa is both funny and charming.
Oliver, Amanda, and Grandmother Pig
By Jean Van Leeuwen | Illustrated by Ann Schweninger
This is another longer beginning chapter book, but it's practically perfect in every way. You'll fall in love with Oliver and Amanda in this sweet book about a week long visit from Grandmother.
Little Bear's Visit (An I Can Read Book)
By Else Holmelund Minarki | Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
If I could pick only one children's book series to read to my children, it would have to be Little Bear. We absolutely ADORE little bear at our house! And this Caldecott Honor book about a visit to his grandparent's house could not be sweeter. Perfect from beginning to end!
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