Bigmama's


Written and Illustrated by Donald Crews
Published in 1991

Why we chose this book:
I first came across this on a Facebook post about Black History Month. T has two of the author's other books, Truck and School Bus, and he liked this one too!

Mom's Review

Young Donald Crews visits his grandparents and takes comfort in the constancy of family.

Readers who live far from grandparents and extended family may identify with the author as he describes his trip to visit his grandmother. Crews emphasizes how happy he and his siblings are to visit and see that everything stays the same from year to year. The extended family comes together for a meal at the end of the book, but everyone is so excited to see one another that they barely eat. Reading this book to T called to mind childhood visits to my grandparents who lived half a country away, and it left me feeling happy.

Son's Review
(age 3 years)

After reading:
Mom: Where does he [the narrator, Donald] go?

Son: He goes to his grandma's.

Mom: Are you kind of like the boy in here? Why?

Son: Yeah. Cuz I go to my grandma's.

Mom: His cousin comes from down the road. Do you have a cousin who comes? What do you do when you are at your grandma's?

Son: G. Play with him.

Mom: How did this book make you feel?

Son: Happy.

Mom: Will you show me your favorite pages?

Son: This is my favorite page...cuz of all the colors...This is my favorite...I just like it.
(First T showed the colorful endpaper and then he showed the page where Donald's family rides the train.)

 Mom: Who would this be a good book for? Why?

Son: G. Because he is a happy little boy.




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