An offbeat look at modern-day grannies that is bound to elicit a chuckle or two.

Kirkus Reviews

Encyclopedia of Grannies

A funny and eye-catching picture book, celebrating grannies of all shapes and sizes, and what makes them tick.

Why do grandmas tell us to speak slowly? Why do grandmas wear their hair up? Are grandmas flexible? How do you cheer up a grandma? And why do they always have creases on their faces?

Children have lots of questions about grannies and Éric Veillé sets out to answer them all with humour and charm in this contemporary picture book for the extended family – how they wear their hair, how they do yoga, how they travel the world, their wise sayings, their knitting.

Each page is dedicated to a quirky topic and combines to make a highly original encyclopedia for children; from buses – no one knows where grannies go – to the contents of a granny’s bed – sighs, regrets and sometimes a grandpa.

Illustrated with funny comic-style pictures, this is a funny and contemporary gift book full of word play, for the entire family to enjoy. With witty and bright graphic illustrations, this encyclopedia challenges the cliches and celebrates the grannies in our lives – no matter what kind of grandma, abuela, nana or nonna you have, you are or would like to be.

Inside every granny, there’s a small house, and in that house is that same granny when she was a little girl. That’s where she still lives.

A chic gift book that will appeal to all ages. Fantastic to give to grandparents, new grandmothers, for Mother’s Day, or as a celebratory gift for the entire family.

Éric Veillé was born in 1976 in Laval and studied at the Duperré School in Paris. He has since released many books, as author and illustrator, including My Pictures After the Storm (starred reviews) and Lionel Poops and Lionel Eats All By Himself.

Translated from the French by Daniel Hahn.

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  • Book Details

    Country of Origin France
    Reader Age 2-5 year, 5-7 year
    Book Size
    ISBN

  • Reviews

    1. Travis Jonker of School Library Journal

      ‘The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2019’
      Veillé is no stranger to this list (with 2017’s My Pictures After the Storm), but in terms of sheer oddness, this one blows his previous work out of the water. It’s a completely bonkers, gleefully silly guide to grandmothers of all stripes.


  • Reviews

    1. The Spinoff (verified owner)

      Not a weekend goes by at Little Unity without a group of kids howling over this zany Gecko press title, and delightedly cataloguing their grandmothers.

    2. What Do We Do All Day (verified owner)

      Veillé poses a series of questions that range from ordinary, “Do grannies ride on busses?” to a little odd-ball, “Do you every find grannies inside pumpkins” and answers them in the most delightfully clever way possible, and with colorful, dynamic cartoon illustrations. Truly a one of a kind book.

    3. Let’s Talk Picture Books (verified owner)

      Each spread examines a different facet of “Granny”: what’s inside granny’s bed, why do grannies travel by bus, why do grannies have creases, etc. And Veillé’s answers are witty, inclusive, and thoughtful.

    4. Juno Magazine (UK)

      This is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek book all about grannies. We learn where they go, their vocabulary, how old they are and all about their moods. It’s very clever in the detail and play on words, but will your granny think so?

    5. The Big Issue (UK)

      Truly a book for any age, Éric Veillé’s Encyclopedia of Grannies is a charming, honest, and witty handbook … Whether from or to a granny, this book is simultaneously silly and sincere, and a perfect tribute to grandmothers around the world.

    6. The Irish Times

      The Encyclopedia of Grannies provides a cornucopia of comedy, both in the content and the brashly coloured cartoon images, which includes a fabulous array of granny hairdos, and not a blue rinse in sight.

    7. Travis Jonker of School Library Journal

      ‘The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2019’
      Veillé is no stranger to this list (with 2017’s My Pictures After the Storm), but in terms of sheer oddness, this one blows his previous work out of the water. It’s a completely bonkers, gleefully silly guide to grandmothers of all stripes.

    8. “In Celebration of Wrinkles” Publishers Weekly Shelftalkers

      …the moments Veillé captures here are delightfully odd… and certainly puncture the idea that grannies can generally be defined by any one characteristic at all.

    9. Outside In World

      From full page illustrations to individual vignettes packed full of detail in eye-catching primary colours, this is another Veillé creation after My Pictures After the Storm that will have young children giggling (and adults too).

    10. Parents in Touch

      Quirky and unusual, this is the perfect book (of course) for granny and grandchild to share, and an ideal gift from one to the other; it’s a great way to the two generations to get to know and understand each other better.

    11. Red Reading Hub

      Sturdily built to withstand the frequent reads this book might have; but don’t be deceived into thinking it’s for the very young; the droll humour requires a degree of sophistication.

    12. Awfully Big Reviews

      This is just the kind of up-beat exposure grannies need.

    13. Kirkus Reviews

      An offbeat look at modern-day grannies that is bound to elicit a chuckle or two.

    14. The Children’s Bookshop

      Another fabulous book from the author of the hilarious My Pictures after the Storm.


Available worldwide from your local bookstore or online.

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