posted on 22 Sep 2023

Lulu’s Nana Visits by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

I am very fond of this little girl and have followed her quiet adventures for several years (see here and here). As I am also a doting Nana to three young grandchildren and a collector of picture books on the theme of grandparents, I settled down to relish the story.

Not all families have the luxury of a spare bedroom for visitors but generous Lulu is more than happy to give up her own bed. As we see her and Mummy prepare to welcome Nana-Bibi to her holiday home we can sense the build-up of excitement. This includes the novelty of sleeping on a blow-up bed prepared with Daddy in ‘a snug spot in the corner’. 

She arrives after a long flight looking rather glamorous despite being tired! While she takes a nap, Lulu stays fully involved in preparing her favourite food. After dinner, she and the rest of the family delight in opening some presents brought from a far-away place. I love the tender moment on the double page spread that shows her sleeping on Mummy’s lap as the woman leans in to touch her forehead to that of her own mother on the sofa. 

The all-too-short visit is packed with happy family visits to the café and the shops, cooking traditional treats, hair plaiting and dancing together at home.

As ever, both the author and illustrator pay close attention to the special moments that define the important relationship between Lulu and her Nana- Bibi. Towards the end of the story, she looks up adoringly as she hears about how long ago, she too used to love spending time working in the garden with her own grandmother:

‘Lulu falls asleep and dreams of 

Hairdos and doughnuts,

Digging and dancing.’

I look forward to sharing this inclusive picture book that shows ordinary moments in one family that will hopefully inspire lots of talk with young children about their own lives. The text is suitably uncluttered throughout and slowly turning the pages allows the reader to look more closely at the detail in the illustrations and to anticipate what might happen next. There are also the necessary gaps in the story for the reader to fill which makes it a very satisfying experience. What is Lulu talking about as she helps Mummy to make the bed? Can we find out which country that Nana-Bibi has travelled from (the front and end papers illustrate her plane flying from Tanzania, but the country is not explicitly named in the story).  Do you have family members who live in another country? What is the special welcome dinner and what would you choose for a visitor coming to stay with you at your house?

I strongly recommend the eighth charming book in the Lulu series published by Alanna Max which should now be available from your local independent bookshop – who will be glad to order it for you if they don’t have copies on the shelf.      

   

Karen Argent

September 2023