WHY WE NEED GRANDDAUGHTERS

A look at why grandparents need granddaughters in their lives.

The books in Lang’s Why We Need series are hugely similar, from the AAAB rhyme scheme and the over-the-top-cutesy animal pairings to the bland statements (“And know that you’re perfect, from your head to your toe”) and the concepts and vocabulary (mirth, abandon) that are likely to go over young children’s heads. In this latest, relentlessly cheery grandparents (using we in the text but pictured one-on-one in the illustrations) expound on the joys of having a granddaughter, talk about the child’s bright future, and remind the little one that “your parents were once small like you.” “As you journey on, we can’t wait to see, / where life will take you, or what you will be. / You’ll hatch big, big dreams—as big as the sea! / And chase down those dreams with abandon.” While cute and almost glowing, the illustrations don’t explain or expound on the text. To match the quote above, an adult cat gazes at a kitten who’s raising a paw toward a grasshopper in a meadow. Adults may want to do some research before sharing this with curious kids, since the animal species pictured aren’t identified, and several aren’t typically found in children’s books (luna moth, kiwi, quokka).

New grandparents may purchase this, but it won’t be a repeat read for their granddaughters.