CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1989
Karen Ackerman, text
Stephen Gammell, illustrations
Alfred A. Knopf, 1988
30 pp.
Age: 4+
Interests: family history, grandparents, song and dance, theatre
Other books on family history: They Were Strong and Good, Grandfather’s Journey
Next: pull out the old family photos!
There’s a little time before supper, so Grandpa takes the three kids up to the attic… and puts on a show! He used to be a song and dance man on the vaudeville stage – he’s still got a trunk full of costumes, and he can still tap up a storm. His grandchildren clap and cheer, but wonder if he doesn’t miss the good old days. He smiles and tells them he wouldn’t trade a million of the good old days for the days he spends with them.
A cheerful look back at the lives our grandparents lived before we were around. Becoming interested in old photos and attic treasures can be a child’s introduction to family history and history in general.
Brightly coloured, warm and lively illustrations portray a rumpled-but-still-spry granddad, his enthusiasm for dancing, and his love for his grandchildren.
Rarest Kind of Best 