Sometimes It's Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies

First-time author Byrne, who is raising her own granddaughter, introduces a loving family unit intended to reassure children in similar living situations. “We cuddle a lot together, Nonnie and me,” begins the ingenuous young narrator, pictured with her affectionate grandmother at different times of day (“Sometimes it's 'cuz morning comes too soon and I'm still sleepy and Nonnie snuggles in bed with me”). Her voice is plaintive as she and her grandmother read a book in which a father plays with his daughter (“I wonder if my Daddy and I will ever do that”) and the mother tucks the child into bed (“I wonder why my Mommy doesn't do that”). The conclusion—that grandparents can do those things “just as good as” mothers and fathers—leaves unanswered questions (no explanation is given for the absence of the girl's parents), though this open-endedness keeps the book's audience from being further narrowed. Though constant cuddling makes for some repetitious images, Haverfield's (Harriett the Homeless Raccoon ) homey watercolors reinforce the bond between the girl and her grandmother and grandfather. Ages 2–5. (Oct.)