As I Grow Up and You Grow Down Grandma and Me by Debbie Daniele

This endearing picture book captures the extraordinarily significant relationship between children and their grandparents by teaching little ones (and reminding not-so-little ones) that though age may affect our abilities, it can only strengthen the love between generations. With every page of “As I Grow Up and You Grow Down,” the young narrators of this tender tale chronicle the simple, yet special, day-to-day activities that a child and a grandmother can enjoy together. Even as the boy and girl enjoy their time and experiences with Grandma, they dream of the day when they will be big enough to emulate their grandmother’s love and kindness. Each page focuses on a different memory—baking cookies, planting flowers, going to the movies, playing dress-up—that the trio makes together, first with Grandma leading the way, teaching them how, then with her grandchildren guiding her, extending in return a heart of kindness. It is a beautiful reminder of how children learn from the examples of the grown-ups they love most, how the power of familial relationships shapes real values and how actions peppered with love enrich the life of a young child.