The Lines on Nana’s Face

Nana has wrinkles—a lot of them—and they make her face look as if she’s not quite happy. This concerns her granddaughter, who wants Nana to enjoy her birthday party. Ciraolo’s silk screen–like images show her asking Nana about each line. Nana isn’t offended, and explains that they’re where she keeps all her memories. Her granddaughter points to the crow’s feet at the edges of her eyes. “This is the best picnic I have ever had by the seaside,” says Nana. The contrast between the expectations set up by Nana’s answers and what the page turns reveal will elicit smiles. The picnic is no idyllic outing: a storm is coming, and the wind is so strong that a young Nana and her friends huddle under their towels, giggling. “The night I met your grandpa” shows the couple on a wild roller coaster ride. Grandpa looks happy; Nana, not so much. The revelation that older relatives were once young is always a surprise for younger people, and Ciraolo (Whatever Happened to My Sister?) presents Nana’s story in a way that’s affectionate and never patronizing. Ages 5–up. (Oct.)