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Grandma's Tiny House
This sweet, rhyming counting book introduces young readers to numbers one through fifteen as Grandma's family and friends fill her tiny house on Brown Street. Neighbors, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and grandkids crowd into the house and pile it high with treats for a family feast.
But when the walls begin to bulge and no-body has space enough to eat, one clever grandchild knows exactly what to do.
Where there's a will there's a way when families grow and come together.
"A warmhearted tribute to the messy joys of a big, impromptu gathering" -- Publisher's Weekly STARRED review
"A fine addition to book collections about families, food, counting, and joyous gatherings" -- The Horn Book
"This counting story will have repeated readings during the holidays and all year round" -- School Library Journal
"Grandma's lucky to have all these family members, and young readers are even luckier to be invited to this wonderful family gathering." -- Kirkus Reviews
Chicago Public Library's 2017 Best of the Best Books selection
But when the walls begin to bulge and no-body has space enough to eat, one clever grandchild knows exactly what to do.
Where there's a will there's a way when families grow and come together.
"A warmhearted tribute to the messy joys of a big, impromptu gathering" -- Publisher's Weekly STARRED review
"A fine addition to book collections about families, food, counting, and joyous gatherings" -- The Horn Book
"This counting story will have repeated readings during the holidays and all year round" -- School Library Journal
"Grandma's lucky to have all these family members, and young readers are even luckier to be invited to this wonderful family gathering." -- Kirkus Reviews
Chicago Public Library's 2017 Best of the Best Books selection
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
JaNay Brown-Wood
50 books78 followersJaNay Brown-Wood, PhD is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and scholar. Her first book Imani’s Moon won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award, and her second book Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and won the CELI Read Aloud Book Award. She has several poems published including Falling Leaves in the poetry anthology Thanku: Poems of Gratitude (Lerner/Millbrook, 2019) a Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for 2019, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and a Notable Children’s Book for the Global Society. She has more than seven forthcoming books including Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep (Charlesbridge, forthcoming 2021), Where in the Garden a four-book series (Peachtree, forthcoming 2021, 2022, 2023) and Jam, Too (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House, forthcoming 2023). She is represented by the fabulous Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. Learn more about her here at www.janaybrownwood.com or follow her on Twitter @janaybrownwood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
June 8, 2017
This is so much more than a counting book. It is a celebration -- of family, friends, food, and life's riches that you simply can't quantify. Grandma's house in this book might be tiny, but it is giant in love.
September 19, 2020
Adorable premise, very cute illustrations and it made me very hungry (and it also made me wish for a big picnic in my grandma’s backyard)
August 10, 2017
A grandmother welcomes her family, friends, and neighbors into her home for a wonderful feast, and everyone brings food to share. Cheerful rhymes mark the arrival of different guests. "THREE neighbors knock on the brown wooden door, with FOUR pots of hot greens and ham hocks galore." As more folks arrive, the house quickly fills. Where is everyone going to go? Aunties, cousins, grandkids -- it's quite a houseful.
This counting story is firmly set in an African American home with specific details, a joyful community and lots of love. Many families and teachers are looking for diverse stories just like this, where race and ethnicity is a part of the story because it's just part of the family's life -- not a point of conflict. This is a counting book with lots of feeling and smiles to go around.
This counting story is firmly set in an African American home with specific details, a joyful community and lots of love. Many families and teachers are looking for diverse stories just like this, where race and ethnicity is a part of the story because it's just part of the family's life -- not a point of conflict. This is a counting book with lots of feeling and smiles to go around.
February 14, 2018
Grandma is getting ready for a party. With two turkeys already baked, the neighbors start to show up. Three of them bring four dishes to pass. Five family members come with six dozen biscuits and jam. The counting continues through the story with lemonade, cheesecakes, sweet-potato pies, and honeydew melons being brought by more and more people. When the party starts, the house is too full for people to move. One little granddaughter has the solution and the party moves outside to the big backyard. While this is clearly a counting book, the story of a warm and large family is really at its heart. The illustrations by Burris are welcoming and warm. Readers will want their own outside party filled with great food, friends and family. Expect lots of watering mouths as you share this book. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
September 27, 2017
Everyone is coming to grandma's house for a meal but will her tiny house hold everyone and the food they bring? Cute counting story about families and meals and making room for all. Would be good for a food/ thanksgiving theme( not directly called a thanksgiving feast in story but two turkeys are cooking!). Really liked this one!
December 31, 2017
I LOVED the illustrations. This was a fun book to count things with my 2 year old. We both liked trying to find the cat and dog on every page. I hollered when I think it was the uncles came to the house with greens and hamhocks, I yelled THESE MY PEOPLE! Beautiful book.
February 20, 2019
There on Brown street sits Grandma’s old house, where everyone goes to meet. Will everyone fit inside this time? Who knows? It is a story about love of family, friends, neighbors and food. This simple rhyming book introduces young readers to numbers from one to fifteen. This book is recommended for two to four years old. The book is a great way to introduce counting in the classroom. This book would be a great addition to any classroom because of the diverse characters in the story, a great way to introduce family traditions of students in the classroom.
February 5, 2019
Have you ever planned an event and didn’t have enough room for your guests? Oh my, this family put their creativity to the test. When there is a will, there sure is a way. We found this ebook in the abc mouse app library and it’s great!
September 17, 2019
I had fun reading this to our Preschool groups. It's a sweet story about a family gathering. By the end I was hungry from all of the food mentioned.
December 31, 2025
Went well for November's storytimes 🙂
January 28, 2021
Text-to-Self
Grandma's Tiny House reminded me of growing up with my Granny. I spent so much time at my Granny's house. She would cook for us, do my hair, and take such very good care of all of her children and grandchildren. Even as adults, we would still meet at her house on Sundays and eat and spend time with family. Sometimes it would be so many people that we would spill outside on the porch, just like in the book. After she passed away, we would still go to her house and spend time with family but it just wasn't the same.
Grandma's Tiny House reminded me of growing up with my Granny. I spent so much time at my Granny's house. She would cook for us, do my hair, and take such very good care of all of her children and grandchildren. Even as adults, we would still meet at her house on Sundays and eat and spend time with family. Sometimes it would be so many people that we would spill outside on the porch, just like in the book. After she passed away, we would still go to her house and spend time with family but it just wasn't the same.
January 19, 2019
Grandma's Tiny House is the kind of house you want to be in. The story is so full of love, I am so glad I choose it to read to my kids. It makes them think of their own grandma and her tiny house that always manages to cram everyone in.
September 23, 2017
Brown-Wood, JaNay. Grandma’s Tiny House, PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2017. $16.99.
As Grandma’s family has grown, her small house has stayed the same size. With family and friends coming over for dinner, will they all fit inside? Eventually the house bulges so big with food and people that one cute granddaughter suggests that dinner should be served outside to solve their problem. Each group of visitors is counted up starting with one to fifteen. They all bring a dish to eat as well.
This is a great counting story that shows loves of family and friends.
PRE-K, EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
As Grandma’s family has grown, her small house has stayed the same size. With family and friends coming over for dinner, will they all fit inside? Eventually the house bulges so big with food and people that one cute granddaughter suggests that dinner should be served outside to solve their problem. Each group of visitors is counted up starting with one to fifteen. They all bring a dish to eat as well.
This is a great counting story that shows loves of family and friends.
PRE-K, EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
October 29, 2022
10/29/2022 ~ I read today to evaluate this book for inclusion as a supplement to our math curriculum. The rhymes and family gathering still make it a joy to read.
10/24/2017 ** Large family? Lots of friends? Small house? Where do you take your gathering? Why the backyard of course. This smoothly rhyming counting book portrays a family gathering for a delicious feast.
Another book in the category of humans gathering for family traditions - humans who happen to be people of color. I look forward to sharing the story and illustrations with my elementary listeners and readers.
Source: The 2017 Top 20 Best in Rhyme List! Watch for the Top 10 List mid-November.
https://rhymerev.com
10/24/2017 ** Large family? Lots of friends? Small house? Where do you take your gathering? Why the backyard of course. This smoothly rhyming counting book portrays a family gathering for a delicious feast.
Another book in the category of humans gathering for family traditions - humans who happen to be people of color. I look forward to sharing the story and illustrations with my elementary listeners and readers.
Source: The 2017 Top 20 Best in Rhyme List! Watch for the Top 10 List mid-November.
https://rhymerev.com
September 6, 2019
This is the kind of book you can read aloud to a preschool age child over and over again. Each time the child may notice something different in the delightful illustrations. This would also be a good mentor text for writing a story together and, with children just a bit older, illustrating and/or writing a story of their own--about family, food, gatherings, celebrations. There are so many other possibilities - playing with rhyming language, counting, noticing details in the illustrations that are not in the written text (the dog and cat are on every page). Lots of potential for fun, thoughtful conversations with the young audience.
November 21, 2017
diverse picture book (toddler/preschool, counting)
* Book prominently features diverse characters: Yes, an African American grandmother and her very large family, plus a few ethnically diverse friends.
* Book would work for a preschooler storytime: a bit long for the wiggly toddlers, would work better with preschoolers. There are only a couple lines per page and the pictures are large and countable, if you want to add in some interactiveness.
* Works well with the counting theme: yes, with a story that provides added interest.
* Book prominently features diverse characters: Yes, an African American grandmother and her very large family, plus a few ethnically diverse friends.
* Book would work for a preschooler storytime: a bit long for the wiggly toddlers, would work better with preschoolers. There are only a couple lines per page and the pictures are large and countable, if you want to add in some interactiveness.
* Works well with the counting theme: yes, with a story that provides added interest.
December 14, 2018
A story about a family gathering at Grandma's to eat dinner together. The counting part almost seems forced. It just once part of the book, and doesn't add anything to the value. The real story is that everyone gathers together to share a meal, but there are too many to sit inside so they sit outside. Good for a storytime about families, traditions, or around Thanksgiving, but by the time you get to the end of the book you can't count the different people you saw before, and you have forgotten that the book is meant to be 'a counting story'.
August 22, 2017
Much like Feast for 10, this book tells the story of many people coming together at Grandma's house for a large dinner. Counting to 15, friends, uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews all bring delicious food to share, including turkeys, collard greens, honeydew melons, and sweet potato pies. Readers can almost smell the aromas wafting from the colorful pages. A diverse set of characters share in this delicious feast that happens in Grandma's tiny house in the city.
May 31, 2018
A story about Grandma's small house and the people who come to visit and share a dinner with her bringing their favorites to her tiny house on Brown Street. The little girl helps Grandma with a place to have everyone sit and eat the foods they have brought to share. All characters have a multi cultural look of all families coming together in the neighborhood not just Grandma's children and grand children. This is the author of Imani's Moon. Read that one, too.
September 13, 2017
Cuuuuuuuute. In this story, Grandma's house is the setting for a big family get-together, but how can they all possibly fit in her tiny little house? Through counting and rhyming text, the story unfolds with more and more family showing up and bringing food to Grandma's house, that by the end, they are squeezed in so tight, the littlest granddaughter has to come up with a plan.
October 19, 2017
This is a simple counting book that celebrates the joy of family as one very large family attempts to have dinner in one very small house! How will everyone fit? Luckily, one clever kid saves the day.
Veg*n Parents Note: Although plant-based foods like honeydew and sweet potatoes get their own pages, roast turkeys and ham hocks are also name-checked in this counting story.
Veg*n Parents Note: Although plant-based foods like honeydew and sweet potatoes get their own pages, roast turkeys and ham hocks are also name-checked in this counting story.
December 2, 2017
Chicago Public Library Best Picture Books of 2017. I thought it was OK, but rhyming seemed forced, illustrations didn't do it for me, and foods seemed stereotyped. Maybe the problem was the story to me felt set in an eastern city and it wasn't until I read the jacket that I realized both the author and Illustrator were from CA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2017
A rhyming counting book in which friends and family in large numbers are gathering for dinner at Grandma's house. There's plenty of food, but not enough room so they move their dinner outside instead.
Fun read aloud with digital artwork. PreK-2.
Fun read aloud with digital artwork. PreK-2.
September 3, 2017
Love this book! Kind of reminds me of my own family gatherings where Grandma's house would be busting at the seems, but everyone is laughing and having fun. It is a counting book, but really it's just a fun family having a huge party book. Would be a fun Thanksgiving storytime book.
September 15, 2017
Such a sweet book about the love of family, friends and neighbors and LOTS of good food! I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a fun counting book and a great story. It's just full of the greatest blessing in life. . .family! This quick read will make your day!
January 12, 2018
Granma's tiny house is too small to fit all of her family for dinner! What are they going to do? This works as a great counting, family and food book. I love the illustrations with the crayon-soft edges. This would be fantastic for a toddler or preschool read aloud.
February 5, 2018
A small format book with a big story inside. Grandma's family is coming over, and they pack her house full of nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandkids, and lots and lots of food. They're just not sure everyone will fit!
February 8, 2018
This is a wonderful book about family, counting, and celebrating together. I love how the illustrations capture the mood of each scene. This is a favorite and a MUST ADD to your children's book collection.
April 26, 2018
A large family has decided to have a big feast at their grandmother's house. However, Grandma's house is rather small, so everyone may not be able to fit. This story does a great job expressing family while incorporating a counting lesson for children in a fun way.
November 21, 2018
In this counting book, a large family gathers together for a meal at Grandma's tiny house. Family and friends are counted as they come through the door. They are not sure how they will fit everyone, but a small girl comes up with a solution. It's a lovely story about family, food and numbers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews