The third instalment of Benji Davies’ world of the storm whale, “Grandma Bird” is a big favourite of little gosling’s. For many days, “grandma Noi” was THE book he wanted to read over and over again. It was our first book featuring a granny and I think it struck a chord, far away as he is from his grannies.
In this book, Noi spends the summer with his eccentric granny. A bit skeptical at first about her, too busy with her own things to play with him, they get very close after grandma saves him after he was caught by the rising tide and a storm away from home. Together they also shelter and take care of many birds, battered by the storm. It’s a sweet story that speaks about generosity and taking care of those in need and ends with a beautiful message and images about the quality time spent Noi and grandma spent together exploring.
The story is cute, much in line with the previous two books. The illustrations are simply endearing and funny and add so much detail and colour to the text. I loved to see grandma meditating in a cross-legged position, complete with mudra and meditation stones and she is so adorable cooking seaweed soup in a pot so big that she needs to climb up on a stool to stir it.
Little gosling was instantly hooked on the seaweed soup and for a long time, his independent play consisted of cooking seaweed soup (collecting all sorts of things, from toys and socks to vegetable stock cubes in an old kettle). However, he was less enthusiastic to try actual seaweed; took a look at it and just said “no” :))). This is the book that taught him the words “lightning”, that he associates with rain and storm, and “barefoot”. He’s been noticing and pointing everytime he sees one of us, or kids in the park, barefoot. He doesn’t like to be barefoot; he insists on having at least socks on at all times, naptime included.
One time we were playing with his fruit puzzle and he didn’t know what lychees were; or so I thought. Upon hearing me say the word he quickly ran to his book bin, took out “Grandma Bird”, opened the page to the image of Noi and grandma sharing the bed to sleep. The text goes, “grandma’s blankets were itchy” :)))). I thought it was so hilarious!
