cover image Grama’s Hug

Grama’s Hug

Amy Nielander. Page Street Kids, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-62414-926-9

When bespectacled May goes to live permanently with her Grama (the reason is not explained, though a child’s drawing shows her with people who might be her parents), the two become “inseparable,” writes Nielander (The Ladybug Race). They never part without a hug. May grows, and her fascination with birds and flight, encouraged by her doting grandmother, turns into an aspiration to become an astronaut. When May gets to go to space camp, she’s so excited that she almost forgets to hug Grama goodbye. Then an even bigger opportunity comes along (involving a real-life space center), and May realizes that more than ever, she needs that hug. The story is fitfully told, with an unsettling moment in which Grama seems almost panicked without the child’s farewell embrace. But there is much loveliness in this intergenerational relationship, which hints at change’s effect on both child and caretaker. In one of the best spreads, Grama and May cycle past a magnificently leafy hedge, each reveling in a flying fantasy of their own. Wherever these characters go, readers will know that they adore each other heart and soul. Ages 4–8. [em](Jan.) [/em]