*Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo. Clarion, 2014. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8
Recommended for: ages 0-8

In this 2015 Caldecott Honor, Castillo tells the gentle story of a grandmother who cleverly helps her young grandson brave his fears and discover all the fun things there are to do and experience in the city. He is frightened by the new sights and sounds when he comes to visit his Nana in the big city.  So Nana makes him a red cape. What young boy doesn’t feel braver in a bright red cape?

Castillo’s watercolor illustrations are a perfect match for her deceptively simple text. Red is a warm, cheery color that highlights spots on each page, showing the boy’s growing awareness of all the many interesting things that surround him. A lovely story for grandparents to share with their grandchildren, this is also one that works as a good group read-aloud or book for a new reader. Mention to your children that Nana is showing us real love: looking to make the other comfortable, looking for ways to encourage and build up. (Note: Castillo’s Christmas is Here was one of our 2014 Winter Book Fair picks!)

Cautions: none

Overall Value: 5 (out of 5)

• Artistic value: 5
• Worldview value: 5

Categories: Picture Books, Award Winners, Grandparents, Starred Review
*Indicates a starred review
Cover image from Amazon.