I’m always keen to review children’s books and when Antoinette Brooks got in touch about her latest book Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall I was delighted to accept a copy for review. It’s a pleasure to share that review today.

Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall was published on 15th October 2022 and is available for purchase here.

A heartwarming children’s rhyming book full of adventure, positivity, and an amazing relationship between a grandma and grandchild! Perfect for bedtime reading and for early learners looking for adventure!

“Grandma, grandma

Brave and tall,

Tell me a story

Of when you were small…”

It’s nighttime.

A little girl lies tucked up safely in bed, but grandma is there and she’s too excited to go to sleep just yet! Can she persuade her beloved grandmother to tell her a bedtime story? Not any old story, but a tale of when grandma was a little girl too!

A wonderful tale that starts with grandma as a small child in Jamaica before she makes a long journey over the ocean… but this is only the beginning, and the little girl hears far more stories than she ever thought possible.

Inspired by true stories from the author’s family, Grandma, Grandma, Brave and Tall is a beautiful storybook that celebrates everyday resilience, overcoming adversity and the power that can be found in intergenerational family bonds.

This wonderful book is packed with:

• Beautiful rhyming text that adds joy and rhythm to the story
• Diverse characters which help children feel they have a valid place in the world
• Sensitive portrayals of real historical events which show triumph over adversity

Children will love the joyful rhyming prose and beautiful vibrant illustrations of Caribbean life, in this wonderful tribute to the abiding love between grandmother and grandchild from one generation to another.

My Review of Grandma, Grandma Brave and Tall

A bedtime story spanning generations.

Before I review the actual story in Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall I just want to mention the extra elements that I so enjoyed. There’s a letter to the reader from the author Antoinette Brooks that feels inclusive and sets the scene for the narrative. There are extra resources to go alongside the book on the author’s website, making it very good value for money and I absolutely loved the way the acknowledgements are presented in a circle that represents the circle of family, storytelling and life that fits the book so well.

I thought Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall was just lovely. Firstly it was an absolute joy to have a children’s book where caucasian characters are in the minority. They are included, but status and prominence is given to those with a Jamaican background that is perfect for today’s multi-ethnic homes and educational settings.

There’s a real sense of history, geography and heritage as stories swirl around events like hurricanes, freedom and conflict as well as family and friends. I thought that having strong women at the heart of the stories too was inspired as it gives children the understanding that females are vital and important in the world.

It was inspirational to encourage children to share their stories with others at the end of the book and I thought this was a message for adults as well as young children. Too often we hear others bewailing the fact that they didn’t listen to the tales from the older generations of their family and, once it’s too late, wish they had.

The rhyming presentation makes Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall accessible to children and easier for adults to read aloud and the illustrations are perfect for the target audience. They retain a child-like quality whilst also being mature and unpatronising so that they add a sensation of quality to the book.

Grandma Grandma Brave and Tall is suffused with connection, belonging and family love. I thought it was lovely.

About Antoinette Brooks