Review - When I Found Grandma

When I Found Grandma
by Saumiya Balasubramaniam
illustrated by Qin Leng
Date: 2019
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

When Maya’s grandma makes a surprise visit from thousands of miles away, Maya is delighted. But her excitement doesn’t last long. When Grandma picks her up from school, she wears fancy clothes and talks too loudly. Grandma’s morning prayer bells wake Maya up, and she cooks with ingredients Maya doesn’t usually eat. Plus, Maya thinks cupcakes taste better than Grandma’s homemade sweets.

Maya and Grandma try to compromise, and on a special trip to the island Grandma even wears an “all-American” baseball cap. But when Maya rushes off to find the carousel, she loses sight of her mother, father and grandmother. She is alone in a sea of people — until she spots something bobbing above the crowd, and right away she knows how to find her way.

Saumiya Balasubramaniam’s story is an insightful and endearing portrayal of a grandparent-grandchild relationship that is evolving and deeply loving, as Maya and Grandma navigate cross-cultural contexts and generational differences. Qin Leng’s sweet, evocative illustrations complement the story and illuminate Grandma and Maya’s growing closeness.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Sometimes I have a difficult time with books like this. The culture clash can be strong, and the end result can be confusing. It's hard enough for adults to try to balance two cultures; it must be even more difficult for kids. Often, I find myself getting quite angry on behalf of the children in these books who are caught in the middle, being raised in one culture and yet called upon to follow the ways of another, even when it causes embarrassment or worse.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. Maya's grandma comes from India for a visit. Right away, we see the culture clash. Grandma is too loud, dresses strangely, makes unusual food, and is devout in her prayers. She also calls Maya by her full name, which Maya doesn't like at all. In one scene that really rubbed me the wrong way, Grandma keeps calling her granddaughter Mayalakshmi, and then proceeds to try to force cashews into her mouth with her fingers. When Maya says, "STOP, Grandma. My name is Maya!" she gets reprimanded by her father. This is a confusing message, since the girl is standing up for her bodily autonomy and preferred name... and yet gets in trouble for it.

Grandma actually seems less backwards than Maya's own parents. She does try to call Maya by her preferred name, and when Maya gets upset after her parents break a promise to her, it's Grandma who makes the concessions and goes with the flow to keep the promise and make her granddaughter happy. I quite liked Grandma by the end of the story. The parents... not so much.

The illustrations are simple, but convey the events in the story well. I don't know that they're really my favourite style, but they worked here. (As for the cover, though, it needs some work. The basic font does the aesthetic no favours. Something a little more decorative might've been nice, or even a simple handwritten font could've worked better.)

So I did end up enjoying this one, but mostly because of Grandma. Even though Maya might find her embarrassing now, she's probably going to be grateful for having such a loving, caring woman in her family as she grows older.

Quotable moment:

I could not fall asleep that night. Grandma was sitting on her bed peeking at me.
She tiptoed into my room. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Grandma joined her palms and prayed.
"Now you'll sleep well," she said.
"I am sleeping," I said, with my eyes still shut.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5