A collection of poems about family activities illustrated with movable pictures.

Grace says goodbye to Grandmother in this touching book about love and loss. Grandmother lives with Grace’s family. She teaches her how to measure water for rice. She tells her stories about growing up in China and together they savor the flavors of her childhood. Grandmother says goodbye when she drops Grace off at school every morning and hello when she picks her up at the end of the day. Suddenly, Grandmother stops walking Grace to and from school, and the door to her room stays closed. Father comes home early to make dinner, but the rice bowls stay full. One day, Grandmother’s room is empty. And soon after, she is buried. After the funeral, Grace’s mom turns on all the outside lights so that Grandmother’s spirit can find its way home for one final goodbye. Carmen Mok’s gentle illustrations show the love between a child and her grandmother in this story that will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one. Betty Quan’s picture-book debut is haunting yet hopeful. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6 Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

What will the children get when they visit their grandmas?

When Tina and her parents go to spend Thanksgiving with Grandma in her new Florida condominium, they are surprised to find that she is very different from when she lived on the farm.

Staring out the car window at the road flashing by, a young girl explains to her new baby brother what happens When You Visit Grandma and Grandpa: you get to play hide and seek with Grandma in the summer and carve pumpkins with her in the fall. Pausing to ask, "Are we there yet?" one more time, she continues: in the winter, you get to build snow forts with Grandpa and watch his magic tricks during spring rains.

Danny's grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She scarcely recognizes him anymore. She has deserted Danny just when he needs her the most. He is coming to terms with being gay, and his mother's newest boyfriend, Mark, has begun approaching him sexually.