Official Review: 'Grandma Hearts: Bedtime' by Dionne Kelm

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CataclysmicKnight
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Official Review: 'Grandma Hearts: Bedtime' by Dionne Kelm

Post by CataclysmicKnight »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "'Grandma Hearts: Bedtime'" by Dionne Kelm.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Grandmas are magical creatures, both in good and bad ways. They're terrific at spoiling children, but they're also spectacular at giving them love. In today's fast-paced world, sometimes it's difficult for parents to slow down and just spend time with their kids, and sometimes it takes a grandma (or grandpa, but this book isn't about them!) to make sure children are getting everything they need. That's the focus of Grandma Hearts: Bedtime by Dionne Kelm - ensuring children are properly taken care of before bed.

A number of years ago, Grandma Dionne was on a local school board, when a questionnaire went out to the teachers of Watertown. One main concern that kept popping up was that many children did not have a regular bedtime routine. Children weren't brushing their teeth, getting tucked in and read to before bed, or getting the attention that every child deserves! So, she thought to herself, "What could I do to help with that? I could write a book! (Easier said than done!) Then along the way she became a Grandma and Grandma Hearts was born!
In Grandma Hearts: Bedtime, a little boy recalls his sleeping routine. Grandma checks to make sure his hands, face, and teeth are clean, the toys from the day are all picked up and then reads him a story! She also tells him how much she loves him and what a special treat he is to her and his parents. This is all done in 4-line, rhyming stanzas that flow beautifully.

In a world that still celebrates the positivity and kindness of Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, and others like them, a sweet, kind, loving book like this is a breath of fresh air. Too many parents get focused on the numerous things in their lives (or just playing on Facebook) and end up doing all the things they feel their kids need, but don't realize they're being neglectful by not telling them stories (like this one!) before bed or making sure they've washed their hands and brushed their teeth among other things.

Mary Manning did a terrific job with the illustrations as well. Each page is full of bright, cheery, warm images brimming with joy. It felt like looking through an illustrated version of an old, cherished photo album rather than a children's book! And I think it's awesome that there's a heart hidden on each page to find, it encourages children to look closer at the pages and interact.

I ended up reviewing a hardcover copy of this book, which is the only form it's available in, and it's fantastic. The covers are very solid - you can hear knocking on it from other rooms in the house! - and the pages are very thick. This means that the entire thing is very durable and can be read over and over again.

Grandma Hearts: Bedtime is a terrific book for anyone who wants a sweet book to read to their children or even to be reminded of the importance of spending time with them. The writing is certainly simple enough for kids to learn with, and I saw no errors whatsoever. It's very easy for me to recommend it to parents or grandparents (unless maybe your child has a jerk for a grandmother or someone you'd otherwise not want to remember). In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I'm already looking into the two sequels in the series - Grandma Hearts: Grandmas and Grandma Hearts: Beaches. My fiancé's sister is expecting a baby in February of 2019 and we live with her mom, so they'll all make terrific gifts and are lovely for us as well. I'm giving the book 4 out of 4 stars, and it was one of the easiest choices I've ever made!

******
'Grandma Hearts: Bedtime'
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María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

What a lovely book!
As you said, it´s like a breath of fresh air. My grandma played a very important role in my childhood and I think it happens to many kids, and reading before bed was a ritual that I started since childhood.
I´ll definitely look into this for my nephews!
Thanks!
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Post by AmySmiles »

Makes me wish I had a little one to read books to. I bet this would be great! It's nice that it is made so durable too, you don't really see that much anymore. Thanks for the review.
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Ruba Abu Ali
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Post by Ruba Abu Ali »

Sounds like a fantastic book. I still appreciate the bedtime rituals my grandma bestowed on us, and as history repeats itself I appreciate the bedtimr rituals my children are having with their grandmother. I will definitely go for this one. Thank you for the authentic, honest and touching review. :tiphat:
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joshfee77
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Post by joshfee77 »

Sounds like a lovely book. I agree totally that kids need that bedtime routine one-on-one with a parent (or grandparent, on occasion). Reading a story together is an essential part of that for me. Great review!
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Sapphyjones
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Post by Sapphyjones »

I think this a good book because it sounds this perrson loves kid takes care of them and just wants everyone to know it's good to give kids love
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zaidan
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Post by zaidan »

what a great book literally i loved this kind of book it reminds me my great grandma maybe our biological have their unconditional love to us but our grandma is really the best in the world hopefully i can read these on my children when their going to bed...
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Rafaella Michailidou
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Post by Rafaella Michailidou »

This book feels so fuzzy and cute I will definitely read it to my students and I will recommend it to their parents. Thank you so much.
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Post by slori0488 »

Your review actually brought me to tears. I have two grandsons, ages one and two, and two more due in Dec. They were living with me until just a few days ago.

My daughter is a young mother, 21, and going through a bad divorce. I tried to get her to understand the importance of a bedtime routine, but I'm just mom so what do I know right? I always put the older one to sleep. After bathroom stuff was done, we read a story then sang songs. Old McDonald, Baa Baa Black Sheep, La Vaca Lola, You Are My Sunshine, and one I made up called It's Time To Go To Sleep. Once the songs were sang he was asleep a few minutes later. After they moved out, he called me the first night to sing You Are My Sunshine and It's Time To Go To Sleep. He's such a sweet little boy.

Anyway, I recorded the songs for him and sent them to my daughter's phone. I guess he plays them during the day too when he can't come see me because they're busy.

I can't wait to read this book. I'm actually inspired to write my own now about the songs and my grandsons. Thanks for a great review!
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goodieo
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Post by goodieo »

Great story...I love grandma's and grandpa's..children will definitely love this book
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Post by EllieLieberman »

This sounds like an amazing book. I live that there's the hidden hearts. It makes it engaging for the kids and I remember always loving that when I was a kid. The illustrations sound like they have a very personal feel. This is definitely a great one to remember for friends and family expecting.
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