Grandmother School

by Rina Singh, Ellen Rooney (Illustrations)

Every morning, a young girl walks her grandmother to the Aajibaichi Shala, the school that was built for the grandmothers in her village to have a place to learn to read and write. The narrator beams with pride as she drops her grandmother off with the other aajis to practice the alphabet and learn simple arithmetic. A moving story about family, women and the power of education―when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her. Women in countless countries continue to endure the limitations of illiteracy. Unjust laws have suppressed the rights of girls and women and kept many from getting an education and equal standing in society. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this brilliantly illustrated book tells the story of the grandmothers who got to go to school for the first time in their lives.

Genres: Picture Books, School, India, Childrens, Nonfiction, Family, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

RINA SINGH was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1980. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. Before moving from Montreal to Toronto, she taught creative writing to gifted children. She has since written several critically acclaimed books for children. Her book A Forest of Stories has been translated into several languages, her poems and short stories have appeared in several Canadian literary journals, and she has exhibited photography in many Toronto galleries. Rina Singh teaches art and drama in Toronto, where she lives with her restaurateur husband and their two children.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle]

Grandmother School is a sweet little book based on real events.

Many grandmothers in India can't read or write. In one village, a teacher sought to change that and created the Aajibaichi Shala, or Grandmother School. Every day, the children walk their grandmothers in their bright pink saris to the school, where they learn reading and basic arithmetic.

Though this story is narrated by a fictional little girl, it's based on what happened in Phangane, India in 2016. So those who are looking for picture books with a non-fiction bent might want to check this one out.

The mixed-media illustrations are charming and colourful, depicting the village, its inhabitants, and the Aajibaichi Shala in vibrant hues. They compliment the story nicely, especially as they incorporate a few words written in the Marathi alphabet.

Overall, this is a lovely book. Kids who don't live in India are liable to find this an eye-opening experience; they might not take their own grandmothers' literacy for granted after reading this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for providing a digital ARC.

[Sarah]

The same year I graduated from college, I got to see my grandfather walk the stage to receive his high school diploma. This book brought back all the feels. And gah, the illustrations are gorgeous.

[Carla]

Grandmother School is based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India. Because girls did not go to school in many countries, most grandmothers in India are illiterate. Each morning, the narrator walks her grandmother (aaji) to the Aajibaichi Shala (Grandmother School) in her uniform, a bright pink sari. As a retired teacher, this story thrilled me. I believe it is never too late to learn and that we are never too old. Basic reading, writing and mathematics is what the Aajis learn. I loved the happiness shown when her grandma learns to write her name. Ellen Rooney's illustrations are wonderful. The colourful, vibrant illustrations are done in mixed media. I love that the words grandmother is learning are incorporated into the illustrations. The clothing, language, village and people are well depicted. This book can be used to teach so many things, literacy, education in third world countries, multiculturalism, generational relationships and following your dreams. This book would be a great addition to classroom and school libraries as well as public libraries. I am not sure what the author's intended audience is for this book, but my 6 year old grandson liked the pictures, but had difficulty with the concepts. I think it would be great to use with older primary and early junior age children (8 to 10). The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Leslie]

First, I need to admit that I underestimated this book. I was thinking it would be a quaint sort of relationship book between a grandmother and her granddaughter. Kind of a “how sweet,” and soft satisfied sigh kind of book. A hallmark card, like picture books can be… I was wrong.

Second, I may have cried a little reading this picture book. If you are at risk of being as moved as I am by stories of compassion, liberation, and courage under contexts of oppression and are going to read this book aloud to an audience (because you must share this book!), you may want to be sure to get that cry in first. If this book was not an e-copy, I would be hugging it still. (Note: I’m not saying it’s bad to cry reading aloud a book, but it can create a lot of pausing your audience may not appreciate.)

Lastly, this is a long(er) review that I actually felt inadequate writing, but when has that ever stopped me. I dread excising parts for my IG post.


The story of the Grandmother School opens with an amusing role reversal. It is the child witnessing the grown-up hurrying through morning routines in order to be on time for school. The child waits at the door so she can walk the grown-up to school—but not just any grown-up, her Aaji, her grandmother. And she isn’t the only child walking her grandmother to school.

“Aaji started school a year ago. My teacher said almost everyone in the village could read, write and count except for all the grandmothers. So he built Aajibaichi Shala—Grandmother School.”

In a composition that echoes class portraits, we see a classroom full of grandmothers in their school uniforms—bright pink saris. They learn as any beginner does, and like most beginners, our narrator’s Aaji celebrates when she learns to write her name.

Singh moves seamlessly between the delightful and the difficult. On one page, we see men of the village, including the narrator’s Ajoba (grandfather) who “shook his head and said that learning at this age was a waste of time.” The brow of the listener crinkles, but smooths because we learn that not all of the villagers felt this way. On the facing page, anyone who remembers learning to write their name smiles deeply at the grandmother dancing in celebration of accomplishing the same. And then we turn the page to a double-spread scene at the bank. Here we learn that Aaji would often been dismissed and forced to wait while those who could sign their names were given priority. We feel happy for Aaji that she would now be able to “show him,” but how many years of that did she endure?

I felt that balancing act viscerally, of enjoying a hero’s story, the overcoming, while also feeling a sadness and anger that she had been denied the privileges of a literate society.

Singh returns us to the delight of a conspiratorial granddaughter helping her grandmother learn. Their joy emanating under the artist’s hand. We celebrate Aaji’s accomplishments, and glimpse again how such learning helps. If you are looking for a clever way to reinforce why learning letters, reading, or math is useful, this is a great story for it. That said, Singh is telling a story of Grandmothers.

Singh maintains another balance, a story universal to students and one specific to more aged learners. “One day one of the grandmothers fell ill, and the others weren’t able to pay attention to the lessons.” In a beautiful moment we could all be inspired by, lessons were not (en)forced. “So the teacher let the grandmothers worry and pray together,” Singh writes The expression, the posture of that teacher looking at Aaji’s own… We’ll get to the illustrations in a moment. The acknowledgement of age smoothly transitions into a conversation of a life and its legacy. Take a deep breath.

“When I die and my Creator asks me what I did with my life on earth, I’ll say I learned to sign my name.”
“But, Aaji,” I reminded her. “You can also read words like cloud, sky, rain, tree, mango, water, bird, hill, river…”
“Yes, and I’ll take those words with me into the next world.”

The accompanying page reads like a dream-memory, a blue-print. The style will find an echo when our narrator dreams, her back-drop black like night. The implications of the story move to a different plane.

Aaji will then remind us that she hasn’t needed to read to tell stories. She recounts a heroic tale (that will be referenced in the author’s note) of courage, mercy, and wit. That she tells these stories will be part of her legacy, but that she embodies aspects of the story will also leave a valuable impression. As her life is enriched, it enriches others.

“No matter what story she is sharing. Aaji always ends with the same line. ‘One day I will read you this story from a book.’”

Teaching Aaji to read and write isn’t a wasted on her because of her age (or even her gender). How many more stories might she discover and then tell to her grandchildren before sending them off to dream “of warriors and birds, numbers and words.”

Empowering is too small a word for Singh’s Grandmother School. The story she tells is both relatable and revealing. She chooses the most basic thing we take for granted and asks us to wonder how not being able to write your name can be problematic in a literate society. And then she situates it in contexts that will mean more to the older reader than the younger—a bank, a marketplace; financial/economic institutions. Singh asks a reader, who is enjoying the pleasures of a story she’s written, who is learning and being entertained by way of this very book, what it might be like to be denied access to such a book due to illiteracy.

Singh couches the narrative in the pursuit of a grandmother’s growth and joy and liberation in the words of a child who revels in her and is inspired by her. Grandmother School is a familial project, a community project. When one is lifted and liberated, all benefit—if only at the fundamental level of joy. The story ended too soon. I’d fallen in love with the grandmother, I want to see her reading from a book with her grandchildren in her lap. I was anticipating it and the narrator instead goes to bed!?! That’s how powerful Singh draws us in.

Grandmother School also finds a compelling storyteller in Illustrator Ellen Rooney. The first double-spread alone: a scene rife with positive energy and urgency. The golden light behind her, the narrator is perched on the toes of one foot leaning a hand into a flung open door, other leg and hand suspended, her body open, face tilted up and mouth open, calling. Aaji is doing multiple things at once, necklace afloat to suggest movement, and I also love that detail of a foot still finding its sandal. The textures of line, layers, brush and prints on floors and textiles continue in presence and appeal throughout, reflecting the richness of a life and a culture. But it’s worth pausing over moments like how Rooney achieves the gauzy effect of that curtain in the first scene. That Singh isn’t afraid of text means we can take in Rooney’s compositions.

I appreciate the marketplace/plaza scene populated with women and men and girls and boys; but note the foregrounding of the women and food (nourishment), the women engaged in commerce, the woman walking chin-up, the girl on the bicycle. As important, notice the liveliness in the interactions, the sense of community captured in multiple conversations. This is the page about how the teacher decided to further invest in the community by building the Aajibaichi Shala.

I love the side-eye of the naysayers and the grandmother dancing with zero subtly. Admire Aaji’s face at the bank. Note the colors and prints and how Rooney can generate noise in a space through facial expressions alone. You feel you’ve acclimated. Much like Singh’s storytelling, you find a rhythm, begin to understand the characterization, the narrative, but also like Singh, Rooney has more to offer in the thought/dream projections and in the hero’s tale Aaji tells. The effect isn’t jarring, but a natural extension and progression of the narrative.

I’m fairly ignorant about India on the whole, to say nothing of the rich cultures housed within its geographic borders and layers of history. Singh gives me plenty to research. As for the history that inspired Grandmother School, the Author offers a Note. It’s an inspiring story I’m grateful to Singh for sharing, both in the note and in her imagining.

Grandmother School is a book worth owning and revisiting. It has all the things. A must.
+
This book. Let’s not make the error of only believing this book is just for grandmothers and/or granddaughters or a single gender. It needn’t even require a lesson plan, but I would recommend reading the Author’s Note.

[Etienne]

2,5/5. I always love and respect the message of those multicultural book for children, but unfortunately the way the tell the story, and the artwork, isn't the most interesting or captivating for young readers. Love the message, but not much the book...

[Patricia Keeler]

A perfect marriage of story and art! This is a heartwarming story based on actual events. A village school in India is created for grandmothers to learn to read and write, and add and subtract. A granddaughter, early on in her own education, takes the lead to encourage and support her grandmother’s efforts at the Grandmother School.

I like the spot on way the art incorporates the Marathi words learned by the grandmother, “words like cloud, sky, rain, mango, water, bird, hill, river.” And in similar fashion, the art shows the “warriors and birds, numbers and words” the granddaughter dreams of from times she’s spent with her grandmother.

Through these loving times and talk shared between grandmother and granddaughter, I found the book a great, and easily accessible, introduction to an aspect of Indian culture, as well as language, legends, and colorful clothing depicted in word and art.

It’s clearly the case that there’s a caring connection between two strong characters, the granddaughter and her grandmother, especially in contrast to when the grandfather says that his wife’s learning at her age “was a waste of time.” Both granddaughter and grandmother become meaningfully empowered through their shared learning.

This is a story that empowers a child, and will warm many a grandmother’s heart, especially if she has young grandchildren just learning to read. It should work well too for a read-aloud, along with a sharing of the beautiful, inspired illustrations. A perfect multicultural edition to any library!

[Cheriee Weichel]

This tells the story of the Aajibaichi Shala, a school for grandmothers in a village in India. The grandmothers are all over 60 and the oldest is 90. They watched their brothers and their children go to school, but until now, never had the chance to go themselves. The first part of the book tells of one grandmother and her granddaughter. Through their story we see the grandmother's passion to become literate.
What I loved most about this book is the gorgeous pink saris the grandmothers wear. Perhaps in India pink is not as gendered as it is here. For me the colour symbolizes liberation and taking back of women's power. That's exactly what is happening here.

[Sanexiah]

Who would have known that a 33 pages children’s book could be a 100% better than any novel I’ve read so far this year—

[Kathryn]

I wanted to love this more than I did because it's a very inspiring and important story and I'm glad it's being told. However, the writing style just didn't grab me, I didn't feel emotionally invested in the story, even though it's an emotional topic. Bonus star for the illustrations, though.

[Caroline Mickey]

As a librarian, I'm a sucker for a story about learning to read. It's never too late and wonderful teachers are behind every successful story. It takes bravery to admit there is something you don't know, even something as fundamental as reading, because others thought you weren't worth the time to teach.

I love stories like this one.

[Sandy Brehl]

There is much to love about this recent picture book. Above all, I love the Grandmothers who seized an opportunity to grow beyond the limits their traditional lives have imposed. The illustrations are a rich resource for appreciating the cultural styles, setting, and patterns specific to this small village in India, but also reveal the universality of human dignity, dismissive attitudes about women, (Grandfather's eyeroll says it all!), and the boundless joy of learning and claiming personal growth.
Back matter confirms that this fictional story is rooted in the real events of a particular village, its grandmothers, and one educator who recognized their potential.
The bedtime storytelling is also a warmly familiar experience, and the traditional tales of their culture are a welcome change from western stories for young audiences. Grandmother's promise to herself and her little one that she would one day be able to READ those stories to her nearly brought me to tears.
Get it.
Read it.
Share it.

[OjoAusana]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This is such an amazing book! Loved the art style and the way the story is told and its so cool its based off a true story!

[Tonisha]

One of the most beautifully illustrated books I've seen comes out on May 5 🎉 "Grandmother School" is based on the true story of a school located in a remote village in India that was created just for grandmothers.

In this touching and sweet book, we learn about Aaji and the other courageous grandmothers in her village that are working to escape the shame and prison of illiteracy. The narrator is Aaji's precocious granddaughter. She proudly recalls how much her grandmother enjoys learning and about the special moments they share while going over their respective schoolwork.

This book is definitely a gem and would make a great addition to any home or class library.

Thank you #NetGalley!

[shadesofwords]

Thanks to Orca and NetGalley for sending me an ARC. Being from India, I have been consciously exploring children’s literature that I can expose to my American-born son. The beautiful cover of this book caught my eye - and this book was exactly what I was looking for.
Grandmother’s School is written by Rina Singh, a Canadian writer famous for other children’s books on Indian culture. As the name suggests, this story is about a school for grandmothers. This is a special school set up in a small village in India to promote literacy among the older generation of women. Every morning, all the kids in the village walk their grandmothers to a school where these women learn to read and write.
Inspired by a true story, the highlight of the book is its message and illustrations. Literacy among women is truly a privilege in developing countries in India. Few generations ago, society considered the education of women unnecessary and it left many women behind.
Grandmother’s School beautifully captures the enthusiasm these elderly women have at a chance to learn. It also relays the sense of pride and accomplishment that Aaji feels when she can write her name or sign her documents at the bank.
Ellen Rooney’s illustrations are eye-catching, colorful and authentic. I sat with my 6-year-old and we went through page-by-page identifying things that we had seen on our trips to India- like the vegetable seller, the man on the bicycle, the mango trees, etc.
It was also cool to see Hindi on the pages, even though the spelling of some words in Hindi was wrong (Bank, cycle, etc). If it’s possible, the publishers should fix those before they release the book.
The story could have been a few pages shorter. The whole story about Shivaji seemed superfluous and just a good excuse to get some stunning illustrations in.
It was a lovely read, easy to understand and beautiful to flip through.

[shadesofwords]

Thanks to Orca and NetGalley for sending me an ARC.  Being from India, I have been consciously exploring children’s literature that I can expose to my American-born son. The beautiful cover of this book caught my eye - and this book was exactly what I was looking for.
Grandmother’s School is written by Rina Singh, a Canadian writer famous for other children’s books on Indian culture. As the name suggests, this story is about a school for grandmothers. This is a special school set up in a small village in India to promote literacy among the older generation of women. Every morning, all the kids in the village walk their grandmothers to a school where these women learn to read and write. 
Inspired by a true story, the highlight of the book is its message and illustrations. Literacy among women is truly a privilege in developing countries in India. Few generations ago, society considered the education of women unnecessary and it left many women behind. 
Grandmother’s School beautifully captures the enthusiasm these elderly women have at a chance to learn. It also relays the sense of pride and accomplishment that Aaji feels when she can write her name or sign her documents at the bank. 
Ellen Rooney’s illustrations are eye-catching, colorful and authentic. I sat with my 6-year-old and we went through page-by-page identifying things that we had seen on our trips to India- like the vegetable seller, the man on the bicycle, the mango trees, etc.
It was also cool to see Hindi on the pages, even though the spelling of some words in Hindi was wrong (Bank, cycle, etc). If it’s possible, the publishers should fix those before they release the book.
The story could have been a few pages shorter. The whole story about Shivaji seemed superfluous and just a good excuse to get some stunning illustrations in.
It was a lovely read, easy to understand and beautiful to flip through.

[Mary]

What a beautiful picture book! This book is based on a true story of a teacher who in 2016 in India decided to creat a school for grandmother's to learn basic writing, reading, and math skills. These grandmothers were never given the chance to go to school, but now they do. The illustrations are beautiful with vibrant colors. The text is nice and lends itself to a great read-aloud for ages 5-8 y/o, with room for discussion. #Netgalley

[Rune Oflynne]

I love this book. The illustrations are colorful, fun and give glimpses into the world of grandmothers in India going to school. The interactions between grandmother and granddaughter struck a chord with my own granddaughter and now it is one of her favorite books.

[Jane Miller]

I absolutely adored this book. I picked it because it featured a grandmother. Being a grandmother myself I knew that I would enjoy the story of the special bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter. It is a very special connection. BUT this story is so much more. It is the true story of a group of grandmothers in a small village in India given the chance to learn the alphabet and to learn some early math. Because one teacher believed in the importance of everyone knowing how to read these woman who had been held back from learning their whole life were finally able to. This teacher used his own money to build a school dedicated to the grandmothers. Their enjoyment of and pride in learning shine through on every page. The illustrations are beautifully done to compliment the story. With bright colors and elegantly drawn faces that highlight the pride of the grandmothers, granddaughters, teacher and other family members. 5 stars is not enough

This book is written for students in grades 1 - 3 it has a message for all.. It is a heartwarming story that will stay with you for a long time.

[joyce w. laudon]

This is a vibrantly illustrated story about a girl, her grandmother and a grandmother school in India. The classrooml was created to help grandmothers obtain the education that they were denied when younger. 

Readers and listeners will delight in the close relationship between a young girl and her grandmother who both want to learn.  Those who pick up this story will feel the joy when grandmother no longer needs to sign with her fingerprint at the bank but can write her name.  She is on a learning adventure and fee;s such self-respect..

This title helps all of us appreciate what it means to get an education and to take joy in learning and family.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Laurel]

This is a wonderful and enlightening story based on true events. The story is broken down to help younger children understand the situations, it's best for 6 and ups I would think. The illustrations are lovely. It's a beautiful reminder to not take education for granted, that there are many who still don't have access to reading and writing. I enjoyed reading about the Grandmother School, it is an inspiring story.

[Julie Hedlund]

The sweet story of a little girl encouraging her grandmother who is going to school for the first time is based on a true story. I love how the book portrays the pride the grandmother takes in her learning, and the dignity shown as the characters are able to learn for the first time in their lives. Te gorgeous, evocative illustrations are perfectly suited to the text.

[Lynn Davidson]

In India in 2016, a small school was built just for grandmothers. They were never given a chance before that to learn to read or write. In this sweet story, a young girl walks her grandmother to school each day, and quietly helps her with homework she has trouble with. Lovely illustrations for this wonderful story of women breaking free of illiteracy. Based on a true story.

[Jodi]

From the author's note: "As children, these grandmothers watched their brothers go to school. As mothers, they sent their own children to school. But no one gave them a chance to go to school. In March 2016 they were given a chance, and they took it."

Never too old to learn, never too late to learn to read!!

[Srividhya Venkat]

It is indeed heartwarming to see one's culture represented in picture books. When I heard about this book and saw a few images online, I knew this book had to be part of my collection.
Inspired by a true story, this vibrant book about grandmothers going to school in Phangane village in Maharashtra transported me back to my years in Mumbai through its authentic visual representation of local Maharashtrian culture. I can't decide which spread I like the best. I LOVE THEM ALL!
I love the story too, especially the special moments the little girl spends with her Ajji, listening to stories and helping her grandmother learn to read. The references to local history in the form of King Shivaji, a much respected ruler in Maharashtra, are a special unexpected bonus that give way for richer storytelling.
As a multicultural book, this book is a great resource to show children a different culture and that some grandmothers haven't been to school, which happens in many countries. At the same time, it also helps show that despite the disparities, people around the world are similar in many ways to the people of Phangane - they go to school, care for family, have desires, emotions and feelings, just like the rest of the world.
Do enjoy this well written, beautifully illustrated book.

[FM Family]

Would be four stars because it's well illustrated, an interesting topic and engaging as well as just the right length, but not story I feel will stay with me in the way it usually has to be for me to give five stars. But I give five because my 3.5 year old is OBSESSED. I read it four times the first day we had it, and then she flipped through it on her own. We're not totally sure what she likes about it, besides everything. But she is VERY interested in the stories the grandmother tells, like the pages where the guys have their swords drawn (especially in the guy in the back who is just holding a flag) and the story of the escape in the fruit basket. And she has strong opinions about the guy at the bank who is not nice to people who use their fingerprint instead of signing their names, too!

But this is a great story that shows how people can (and should) keep learning at any age, how older and younger generations can help each other and gives a nice insight into the Marathi community where the grandmother school really operates. Manages to do this and be engaging without being preachy. Definitely recommend

[April Gray]

A sweet and uplifting story, based on a real school in Phangane, India. A little girl walks her Aaji (grandmother) to the Aajibaichi Shala (grandmother school), created by the girl's teacher, who thought all the residents of the village should be able to read and write, even the grandmothers who weren't allowed to go to school when they were children. The joy of Aaji and the other women can be felt in the illustrations, as can the pride the little girl feels for Aaji. The artwork is wonderful- the colorful, bright mixed-media spreads are filled with gorgeous detail, and really bring the story to life. Definitely recommended!

#GrandmotherSchool #NetGalley

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

In Phangane, a remote village in India, grandchildren walk their grandmothers to a special grandmother school. As children, these grandmothers watched their brothers go to school. As mothers, they sent their own children-sons and daughters-to school. Now, as grandmothers, they are finally learning to read and write themselves.

Wow! Told from the perspective of a granddaughter, this beautiful book tells the story of real women in India who are grasping their chance to learn to read. Great choice for an elementary read aloud.

[Pam]

Empowering book about a village in India that met the challenge to educate the grandmothers. These women were overlooked so brother could be educated when they were children. They sacrificed so their own children could receive an education. Now, it's their turn. Told in tender words from a grandchild's perspective as she celebrates and encourages her grandmother to learn. The simple joy represented by being able to write your own name is universal. It honors rights and privileges so many don't realize.

[Vicki]

There is so much to love about this book. First of all, it portrays life in India in a really descriptive but normal way that I found really important. I find descriptions of India tend to be either overly flowery or overly simplistic in popular films and TV. Additionally, the story itself is told with so much love and heart. The illustrations are stunning. And the discussion about inequity is done explicitly and with intention. I think this will create a lot of opportunity for discussion between caregiver and child about privilege and persistence.

[Pat Austin]

What a delightful story of a young girl, who just having begun school herself, leads her grandmother Aaji to school-- to Grandmother School, begun by Yogendra Bangar, a local schoolteacher - because almost everyone in the village could read, write, and count except for the grandmothers. And he thought eveyone should read. Aaji had always been a storyteller, telling her granddaughter that one day she'd read her stories from a book. Grandfather thought it a waste of tme at their ages to learn to read, but Aaji was thrilled. She no longer had to endure shame at a bank because now she could sign her name.

Ellen Rooney's art, rendered in a variety of materials including pencils, paints, hand-carved stamps and digital drawing tooks elevates the inspiring text with splashes of color.