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Top 5 picture books with intergenerational relationships, chosen by Patrice Lawrence

The multi award-winning children’s author picks her five favourite illustrated books about relationships between the generations

Grandparent and grandchild at the seaside

Image: Varun Kulkarni on Pixabay

Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush author Patrice Lawrence chooses her top five picture books that deal with intergenerational relationships.

1. So Much by Trish Cooke and Helen Oxenbury

A glorious celebration of a British Caribbean family as they gather for a surprise birthday party. (Also great for Black ’90s fashion!)

2. If All The World Were… by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys

It’s fantastic that Coelho is the new Children’s Laureate. The lyricism of the words and poignancy of the illustrations about a young writer and her relationship with her grandad has me in tears every time.

3. The Forgettery by Rachel Ip and Laura Hughes

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Amelia worries that her granny is starting to forget things. One day she and her granny wander deep into the woods and find the place where those lost things go. It’s a compassionate, joyful book.

4. Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola

Rocket and her family head off to the Caribbean to see her grandparents. Unfortunately, plastic waste is ruining the beach and putting sea life in danger. A great story with an environmental message – but the surfing grandmother and grandad’s fashion make it a bigger joy.

5. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Julian is with his abuela (grandma) on a subway train and sees three women dressed as mermaids. He wants to be one too… A deceptively simple story about creativity and acceptance. 

Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush by Patrice Lawrence, illustrated by Camilla Sucre, is out now (Nosy Crow, £7.99)


Lawrence’s next book, The Elemental Detectives, is out on September 1 (Scholastic, £7.99)

You can buy Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine. If you cannot reach local your vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

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