Stan and His Gran

Garland’s commentaries on the theatre of everyday early 21st-century life seem to mature with each book. Her acute eye for anecdotal visual detail and the comedy of domestic living almost positions her as a latter day Ardizzone.

In this very urban tale, Stan and baby sister Annie await the arrival of Gran, who takes charge as mum and dad rush off to work, laptops tucked under their arms. The journey to Gran’s house is nicely observed with little cameos gently describing the relationship between Stan and his gran. But on arrival at Gran’s house a major drama unfolds as Gran discovers that she has lost her front door key. A despairing Stan suddenly spots baby Annie about to swallow it and saves the day on all fronts with his intervention. The sense of relief as the little troupe enter Gran’s house is made palpable by a particularly rich spread showing Stan enjoying all of the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Gran’s living room.

This book has great charm and is full of subtle, understated references to little things that can be so important to a child.