Nana’s Getting Married

“I, for one, do not approve,” says the opinionated narrator of Hartt-Sussman’s debut about his grandmother’s new beau, Bob. First pictured snuggling with the boy and a book in comfy clothes and fuzzy slippers, Nana has undergone quite a transformation. Instead of staying at home to bake her grandson cookies and knit him sweaters, she now dons makeup, fancy dresses, and stilettos for frequent dates with Bob (“ 'Gross,’ I say”). Determined to scare away her suitor, the boy pretends he’s a ghost, whines, sulks, and tells Bob about Nana’s ailments. He makes a rather abrupt about-face during a heart-to-heart with Nana, when she announces that she and Bob are getting married—and that her fiancé is building him a tree house and wants him to visit. Graham’s (The Lime Green Secret ) brassy chalk-pastel illustrations feature caricatures with comedic particulars: the bug-eyed narrator’s exaggerated body language, Nana’s outlandish outfits, and Bob’s outsize horizontal moustache (he also sports a ponytail and earring). Though some may find the delivery overblown, this message about open-mindedness and acceptance hits its mark. Ages 4–7. (Feb.)