Grandma Bird

Noi is spending summer with his grandmother. She lives by herself on a tiny rock and always seems too busy for Noi. So he goes off on an adventure – but will it have a happy ending? Luckily Grandma is there when most needed.

Benji Davies is fast becoming one of the most recognisable and most loved illustrators for the very young. Here he returns to the landscape he first created in The Storm Whale with Noi, his little protagonist. As with both the previous books featuring Noi, friendship and the natural world are central themes as Noi both rescues a lost migrant bird and builds a relationship with his grandmother. Davies illustrations make bold use of the double spreads to create the atmosphere of the seaside world inhabited by Noi and Grandma. His palette ranges from the bright clear colours of a sunny day to the dark drama of the storm against which the red sails of Grandma’s boat shine like a beacon. Not and Grandma, deceptively simple images, nevertheless are full of character and life, completely individual and recognisable. ‘I think he likes you’ says Noi to his Grandma; there will be no doubt the readers of this attractive and effective picture book will like her too. This must be highly recommended for both the classroom and the home.