Best Friends with Grandma is a new picture book by my friend, Bitsy Kemper. I finally got my personal copy after some glitches with Amazon, and I want to give it a shout out with an interview from the author herself!

So Bitsy, I love your new picture book Best Friends with Grandma! Were you inspired by your relationship with your own grandmother, your grandchildren, or both? 

Thank you so much for the kind words about the book! I don’t have grandkids (yet); this book was inspired by one of my grandmothers who played a pivotal role in raising me. The idea came to me when I said something to my daughter that she used to say to me, and I thought, I wonder if my grandmother had any idea how long-lasting her effect would be on me. It’s not only that she affected me, some 40+ years later, but also my daughter, a generation later. And who knows, my daughter might be saying the same thing to her kids someday. It made me think, grandparents don’t get enough credit. Someone should write a book about that, celebrating them. Then I realized, wait a minute, I’m a children’s book author. Why don’t I write one? And that’s how it came about. I dedicated the book to my grandmother; it’s a funny one that you read inside the front cover.

Read more: Best Friends with Grandma

You said you’re not a grandmother, but why do you think grandparent books are popular?

Here’s the thing I don’t want kids to know, that adults (especially grandparents) are fully aware of: grandkids only stay young for such a small window of time, and, well, grandparents aren’t going to be around forever. I know that sounds morbid, but the reason I bring it up is because grandparents should take advantage of having grandkids young enough to sit in their lap and be read a story before they outgrow it, and grandkids need to take advantage of having grandparents being an active part of their life while they still are. We don’t get that time back.

I noticed that this story is not just about fun times with grandma—though those moments are portrayed very well. The grandchildren also learn some life lessons along the way. Why is that important?

It was important for me to show how grandmothers aren’t going to stand up and tell you something like, “My back hurts and I don’t feel like making a cake but I told your cousin I would so I’m going to do it anyways.” But grandkids see them doing it over and over. And that tells the child so much more than any repeated lecture could. It’s seeing how the grandmother lives their life that’s how they learn. You’ll notice I never say anything to the effect of “I learned” in the book. I intentionally say/write “I agree” because it’s an inherent understanding and agreement that the positive way the grandmother is living their life is the way that the child is deciding they want to live theirs. Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. –1 John 3:18 ESV

This isn’t a typical children’s book with a main character. Was it hard to get published?

I had it sitting on my computer for a while, because you’re right, “soft books” don’t really sell these days–the kind without a main character, where there’s a beginning/middle/end format. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. When I got the idea to add Bible quotes, it just clicked. It went from a nice story idea to making it into a book. It’s amazing what a difference the verses made. 

Tell us why you included Bible verses throughout the book? 

There is a spiritual connection between a grandparent and a grandchild. (There’s a spiritual connection between any parent and child, really.) I felt the Bible verses were back-up, if you will. They were proof that the connection is God-given. I came across Proverbs 17:6 “Grandchildren of the crowns of grandparents” when I was writing the devotional journal Mommy and Me Micro-Moments: Nurturing Faith, Sharing Laughs. That was the Bible quote that gave me the idea to include it at the end of the Grandma story. It made the story so much stronger that I decided to add one to each segment.

The illustrations are so lively and colorful. I especially love how the grandmothers are all shapes and sizes and ethnicities. Did you have some input into those decisions? 

Great question! As you know, typically picture book writers have no say in the artwork when it comes to traditional publishing, but this was in my original manuscript. I specified that I wanted each segment to have a diverse set of grandparents/grandchildren to show how universal the love between the generations is.

Tell our followers where they can find out more about you and your books.

Probably the best place to look is my website BitsyKemper.com. If they’ve ever thought of writing their own children’s book I have tips for beginner writers there. I also have a fun quiz to find out what your Grandma Superpower is, and some free downloadables like coloring sheets and ways to maximize “micro-moments” with the kids. By the way, Best Friends With Grandpa comes out next year so stay tuned!

Thank you, Bitsy, for sharing the inspiration behind your beautiful book. It’s fun, sweet, lively, and has a great message for readers of all ages.

It’s easy for me to give your book FIVE big smiles! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Here’s to being best friends with the grandma or grandkids in your life.

Crystal

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