A Grand Day - by Jean Reidy (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Celebrates the special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren"--

Book Synopsis

Celebrate the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren with this charming picture book with stunning diorama illustrations.

A million kisses! Hugs! Hooray!
Our grand day begins this way.

Whether planting a garden, having a picnic, or baking, any day spent together is sure to be grand.

Follow all kinds of family configurations as grandparents and grandchildren celebrate togetherness: baking, exploring, gardening, and all of life's joyful moments. This rhyming, warmhearted picture book captures the unique bond between grandparents and grandchildren in every kind of family!

Jean Reidy is the beloved and bestselling author of Truman and Sylvie. Here she joins forces with artist and craftswoman extraordinaire Samantha Cotterill, who brings this delightful story to life with her signature diorama-style illustrations.

Review Quotes

A kaleidoscope of family fun swirls through A Grand Day, a lively grandparentstravaganza of cuddles, laughter and imagination.

In rhyming text, Jean Reidy salutes the magic of days spent with grandparents. She begins with cheery let's-go-have-fun hugs, then progresses through a range of shared activities. The possibilities are creative (chalk painting, gardening, baking), athletic (yoga, cartwheels, dancing) and even a little mystical (magic tricks, attic expeditions, a starlit campfire). Reidy spotlights lower-energy pursuits for more laidback types, too, such as relaxing by a pond, reading and napping--crucial recharging for marshmallow-toasting time!

Illustrator Samantha Cotteril's fascinatingly detailed and immersive 3-D artwork offers a dazzling array of elements that will reward repeat reads. Every page has a dioramic vibe, with impressively engineered cut-paper sculptures that range from massive trees to minuscule sticks of sidewalk chalk. There are patterns and textures galore, and loads of depth and color. You'll marvel at intricate wallpaper, wooden benches, hungry cardinals descending on a bird feeder and more.

Throughout the book, characters revel in sharing their favorite endeavors, highlighting the importance of learning from one another: "Try a two-step, maybe ten. / All that's old . . . is new again." Vibrant elements of nature appear on every page, with sheltering trees, a backyard garden or a pond dotted with lily pads paying homage to the wider cycle of life. Reidy's text encourage appreciation and contemplation of the world around us: "Salute the sun. / Soak in the breeze."

A Grand Day is a visual feast of a book that will inspire readers to cherish hugs, kisses and time spent with people they love. --BookPage "9/01/2022"

About the Author

Jean Reidy's bestselling and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages and from all over the world. Her books include Truman and Sylvie, both illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins. She is a three-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor winner, and recognized on "Best of" lists by School Library Journal, The New York Times, NPR, and Amazon. Jean writes from her home in Colorado where she lives right across the street from her neighborhood library...which she visits nearly every day. Visit her at JeanReidy.com.

Samantha Cotterill has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including the Little Senses series, Thankful and Heartfelt by Elaine Vickers, A Grand Day by Jean Reidy, Look by Gabi Snyder, Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime! by Lisa Mantchev, and Just Add Glitter by Angela DiTerlizzi, which The New York Times called "a sparkle of genius." Samantha lives with her family in upstate New York. Learn more at SamanthaCotterill.com.