Banjo Granny

By Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Sarah Martin Busse

Book Overview

Granny's heart is set to see her new grandbaby, but how can she ford a fast river, climb a steep mountain, and cross a wide desert? With a dose of determination, a well-stocked banjo case, and the charm of a simple bluegrass song--that's how! Part tall tale, part lullaby, this rhythmic story, illustrated with warm pastoral paintings, celebrates the meeting of grandmothers and grandbabies everywhere.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618336036
• ISBN13: 9780618336036
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 10.0" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 3 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool

Customer Reviews

Plump old lady in Nikes who can traverse a river without a boat and coast over a hill and desert wit

Not a bad children's book, but it did not light a spark in me. I thought the text was good and the illustrations were wonderful. Both authors and illustrator certainly have talent. However, I did not think the book as a finished product (i.e., the combination of the text and illustrations) was all that good. Granny was wearing Nikes and supposedly up for a trek across a river, over a mountain, and then across a desert - but she was still obese. And at one point she was walking down a trail that dead-ended at a river with no bridge to walk over. In my mind, if she had Nikes to wear, then the river should have been wearing a bridge. And where did she get the helium when she used a balloon to go over the mountain? I could go on with thoughts like these. The story is about a middle aged lady who wants to visit her grandson who likes bluegrass music. She decides to go visit her grandson and packs her banjo so she can play him some bluegrass songs. The bulk of the story is about her journey from her home to his. As we all know, a kid's book can be lousy from a critical standpoint, but wonderful from a commercial standpoint. Since one can turn the pages in this book and pretty much figure it out just by looking at the great pictures, I honestly believe it will be popular with most young children it is read to. 4 stars!