Grandma’s Purse, illustrated and written by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Title: Grandma's Purse
By: Brantley-Newton, Vanessa
Published: 2018
Call #: JPicture Brant.V

Very few picture book artists create warmer or cozier illustrations than Vanessa Brantley-Newton. In this delightful and sweet slice of life story, a little girl has her grandma, affectionately called “Mimi”, show her the contents of her purse. The loving grandmother explains the significance of the objects, from the hairpins that help manage her hair to the change purse her husband brought back to her from Japan ages ago. Brantley-Newton captures the bond between grandparent and child with graceful finesse, and also changes up her illustration style just a tad. The drawings here are a little looser and more child-like than those found in her many other books. Also, Brantley-Newton proves to be a very solid writer here (she often illustrates works written by others), especially when revealing some surprises found in the purse towards the end (family photographs, and of course, a brand new sparkling purse that is a gift for the child narrator). A delight from start to finish.

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