KEEPING UP WITH GRANDMA

Winch (The Old Woman Who Loved to Read, 1997, etc.) crafts sparkling illustrations for this tongue-in-cheek tale of a silver-haired senior who hears the call of the wild. Grandma bakes scrumptious-looking cakes, but feeling the need to get out more, leaves the kitchen, dragging Grandpa away from his beloved easel to search out new hobbies. Mountain climbing? Too exciting for Grandpa. Similarly: sledding, white-water canoeing, diving, and bronco-busting. Dancing? Grandpa may once have been a champion rug cutter, but he can’t keep up with the beat any more. Sailing and spelunking don’t turn out well either. In crisply detailed paintings, Winch alternates pulled-back views of misadventures in the great outdoors with finely detailed facial close-ups, depicting Grandma plunging enthusiastically into each new venture, and Grandpa soldiering unhappily behind. Though the experiment ends on a flat note, as the two return to their accustomed avocations with evident content, the wild action and a plenitude of visual jokes will keep children, and their elders, entertained. (Picture book. 7-9)