My kid loves this book, a glimpse into a secret adult world
I'm writing this because I'm surprised that anyone would write a negative review for "My Granny's Purse," a clever, charming piece of readable sculpture that still intrigues my precocious 5 year-old daughter after a year and a half.
Despite lots of other available literary treasures, My Granny's Purse has been her consistent favorite, winning the nighttime sweepstakes as my daughter's most-requested reading item. That makes it a winner for dad too - a kid's book that engages and fascinates for repeat visits. But there's something a little mysterious in My Granny's Purse that defies explanation, though I think it's the peek into an adult world that is part real and partly untold that fascinates my daughter.
The ongoing appeal of My Granny's Purse is also mildly surprising given its rather minimal, aphoristic text - a text intended to be humorous in contrasting mom and granda's admonitions ("Throw that junk away" vs. "Save it for a rainy day" e.g.), with no danger that it might stir up any family conflicts (whew, please spare kids the blandness of political correctness!)
Whatever the allure of this piece - part pop-up, part toy sculpture, part reading book, part found object collection - My Granny's Purse has kept its appeal longer than anything else on our bookshelf, so now I'm getting copies for kids of friends as well. Fragile? Not really, but handle with care and apply tape where needed (only the joints are fragile, the cardboard is tough). In any case don't deny your kid a trip into the random snapshots and souvenirs of an entire adult lifetime, glimpsed in the found objects that populate the witty and intelligent "My Granny's Purse." Bottom line: my daughter loves it - she's the one giving it five stars.