Note: I received an F&G of this book at an ALA conference. ( )

The sweet story of a young girl who goes to visit her grandmother, who we assume she's named after. Grand-Maud is one of those really great grandmas that we wish we had and we hope to be. ( )

Maud enjoys her weekend sleepovers with her grandmother, Grand-Maud, in this charming picture-book from Canadian author Sara O'Leary and American illustrator Kenard Pak. The two have a routine for their visits, from wearing matching flannel nightgowns to having breakfast food for dinner, from watching black-and-white movies to sleeping side by side in two twin beds. Grand-Maud always leaves a little gift for Maud in the wooden chest under her bed, and the best of these gifts are objects that once belonged to her (Grand-Maud), and spark a connection between the two. Maud has many dreams and plans for her life, but she definitely wants to be a Grand-Maud herself one day...

Although there is nothing particularly extraordinary in the story that she spins, O'Leary manages to invest her text with quite a bit of emotional resonance, producing an understated but heartwarming tale in Maud and Grand-Maud. The accompanying artwork from Pak is likewise expressive, depicting a multiracial family - Grand-Maud is of European extraction, Maud of Asian (or partly Asian) background - that is obviously very close and loving. I particularly enjoyed some of the scenes in which Maud was imagining the stories she would one day write - happy tales about people and cats - or dreaming of the (seven!) children she would one day have. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about grandparents with their grandchildren, or featuring multiracial families, where that fact is not the focus. ( )

Little Maud - dark-haired, with light brown skin - goes to blue-eyed, white Grand-Maud's house "on special Saturdays" and stays overnight. These two have their own routine, from matching flannel nightgowns to breakfast-for-supper to watching old black-and-white movies. What could be a saccharine story of a grandmother and granddaughter's (and namesake's) relationship isn't cloying at all, but utterly perfect. Kenard Pak's illustrations - ever so slightly sepia and muted - and the tall trim size (to match Grand-Maud's apartment building) give the book a cozy, timeless feel. Fantastic gift book for grandparents/grandkids. ( )