OMA, OPA: German children's books about grandparents

Grandparents can have a vital role in our kids' lives - whether they live close by and part of our regular daily lives or far away. Ideally they can shower our kids with affection, are warm and accept the children just as they are. In short give the kids a sense of belonging.

In today's kids' books they also have interesting characters, with a history, stories and often times they are a little quirky. As the children or the grandparents grow older other more uncomfortable topics like illness or death can also come into focus.

They are some beautiful picture books on the strong bond and special time with grand parents, some hilarious chapter books out there with grandparents that don't fit our expectations - as well as others that address dementia and aging in a child appropriate manner (meaning: it is a light and suspenseful read that tackles some heavy stuff.). Here are our favorites.

Lena Anderson

ROSA UND OMA

Rosa sleeps at her grandmother's. And we get to spend the day with them:

they are awake together, have break fast together, read a book together... A simple, but super charming board book about the bond between a grand-parent and grand-child.

2 years and up

Daniel Fehr /Lotte Braunings

FRUEH LOS

It's early in the morning, so early it is not even properly light. Jon is excited, he is going hiking up the big mountain with his grandfather. While they walk up, grand-father walks steadily but slowly , whereas Jon runs up and down... Can they make it all the way up? or will one of them get tired? Who?

Beautiful picture book about the different stages of life.

4 years and up

Matthias Kroener / Taltal Levi

OMAS PAKETE

Grandmother lives far away. So she sends packages. And they travel a long, long way. From container ship to message in a bottle, the jungle, it travels by train and plane... until it finally reaches the girl.

Colorful bold illustrations with fantastical elements make this German picture book a joy to read - and probably something many German-American kids can relate to with a grandmother or -father far away.

3 years and up

Martin Baltscheit ?

OPALEBEN / SELMA TAUSCHT SACHEN

Not all older people are more fun than the younger generations, Or warm and loving. Some are old and lonely and slightly bitter. Selma in this German graphic novel encounters one of those highly bitter and critical old men every time she and her dad bike to the baker nearby. He has the nagging ailment, her dad tells her. How is that possible? Selma has a special gift, she can body swap with others, and soon she sees the world through he eyes of the grumpy old man. And he might be transformed when being Selma.

7 years and up

Sarah Welk

SOMMER MIT OPA

Spending a vacation with the grandparents can be amazing, as grand-parents are much more lenient, more of ice cream and chocolates, staying up late... And some of the grand-parents these days can be a little more quirky than parents. Siblings Marie and Jonas are not too sad, when they learn their parents have to work this summer and can't go to Teneriffa with them, after all they get to spend the vacation with their hippie grand-father Franz instead. The plan is to take the camper and go to Italy. Unfortunately the camper does not quite take them up to Italy, it breaks down very early in their journey and they are stuck in a forest, with a little lake for swimming nevertheless,. Opa Franz thinks they'll have just as many adventures here,.. Jonas is not sure. But he might be proven wrong.

Super fun read with Sarah Welk's amazing sense of humor.

First in a trilogy.

8 years and up

David Walliams

GANGSTA-OMA

Every Friday 11 year old Ben stays at his grandmother's, and he hates it. It is so incredibly dull and predictable, with her loving silly board games and cabbage soup. But then he finds out his 90 year old granny actually is an international jewel thief - and she is plotting to steal the queen's crown jewels!

Hilariously funny middle grade novel with some more serious undertones.

(Equally great is PROPELLER-OPA by Walliams.)

9 years and up

Kirsten Boie

EIN SOMMER IN SOMMERBY

12 year old Martha and her brother Mats are not excited to spend the summer with their grand-mother somewhere far off on the country side, when their mother has an accident in the US and their father flies over as well: They hardly know her and she seems more than just a bit eccentric. She lives without a phone, internet or other modern amenities, She also seems a bit gruff and owns a rifle to scare unwanted guests... But then they discover that a world without digital distractions offers a lot of adventure and also wholesomeness. Though the idyllic life seems threatened, somebody wants to aquire the real estate and scare the old lady off her plot...

Reminiscent of Astrid Lindgren's FERIEN AUF SALTKROKAN, while firmly rooted in modern age, Kirsten Boie shows us a world where kids not only no digital devices, but also much more freedom than common for kids nowadays.

First of a series of 4 books.

10 years and up