We’ve loved some of the recent picture books that celebrate grandparents, and what better Christmas gift from a child than one that says, ‘Let’s sit down together and read this’?

To help you get the right fit for your family, here are nine new favourites from the last 12 months and one oldie we just couldn’t leave out…

The Butterfly House by Sarah Smith

Jack and Lizzy’s granny is rather whimsical and has that eternally youthful quality about her, even though her advancing age is a subtle feature of the story. Her house is elegant and magical, and the story has a dream-like quality to it. Sarah Smith’s illustrations are full of quirky details and I can just imagine a child patiently counting the numerous tiny butterflies while sitting on granny or grandad’s lap.

Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham

National treasure Bob Graham has often written his own family into his household-favourite picture books, ever since the early 80s. In his latest, Bob and his wife are grandparents taking little Edie out for the day (and the dog, of course – another of Bob’s trademarks). In a moment of pure poetry, the dog gets tangled, a sparrow swoops, an ice cream topples – and Edie gets her first taste of vanilla ice cream.

Hello From Nowhere by Raewyn Caisley and Karen Blair

For those of us with parents who live faraway but are nonetheless an extremely important part of our children’s lives, this is great. Eve loves her home on the Nullabor Plain but wants to share it with her beloved gran, who is reluctant to come to the ‘middle of nowhere’. We love the outback details in Karen Blair’s gentle illustrations (you’ll see her work again further down the list), the sense of community, and young Eve who is a really likeable main character.

How To Hide A Lion From Grandma by Helen Stephens

Helen Stephens won our hearts with How To Hide A Lion, with its recognisable nod - albeit being a satisfyingly different story - to The Tiger Who Came To Tea. This time, hiding a lion is for the benefit of Grandma’s imminent visit as she will surely freak out when she sees Iris’s new friend. What Iris doesn’t realise is that she and her grandma are cut from the same cloth and that there’s a surprise in store for Iris instead. This is so cosy and fun, worth multiple reads.

How To Babysit a Grandad by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish

The relationship between words and pictures here is key. While the narrator (a school-age boy) explains in a dead-pan sort of voice all the many things to take into consideration when you’re looking after your grandpa for the day, the illustrations show enormous fun and affection. The boy and his grandpa have an absolute ball, eat what they like and enjoy being on the same wavelength. How To Babysit a Grandma is also available.

Lucas and Jack by Ellie Royce and Andrew McLean

While this one is not strictly about a child’s relationship with blood grandparents, it’s well worth a look. Lucas is a boy who feels a bit put-out at having to wait for his mum every week while she visits her grandpa in a nursing home. But then he meets Jack, another resident of the home, whose life as a farmer (depicted through Andrew MacLean’s expressive illustrations) impresses Lucas and opens his eyes to the lives of old people. What could have been a preachy number is instead a wonderfully warm tale.

My Nanna Is A Ninja by Damon Young and Peter Carnavas

On a completely different note, this is pure, outright fun. Damon Young’s debut picture book celebrates nannas in all their many guises and preferences, with the appealing refrain: ‘But my nanna is a NINJA!’. My Nanna Is A Ninja is a proud and endearing call-to-arms for kick-ass nannas everywhere.

Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas

Here’s that old favourite we promised, for no list of brilliant grandparents would be complete without Grandma Poss. You know the story: a vegemite sandwich in Darwin, a piece of Pavlova in Perth. This is the quintessential book to keep at granny and grandpa’s house, where there’s time to be cheeky possums and eat delicious treats (for magical reasons) that we’re not going to tell mum and dad about…

When Charley Met Grandpa by Amy Hest

Please note, this book is now out of stock at Readings and more stock cannot be supplied in time for Christmas

We first met Henry (the boy) and Charley (the dog) in Charley’s First Night. Now it’s time for Henry’s grandpa to come and meet his dog, and Henry is understandably excited. Amy Hest uses a gorgeous child-like diction, which is a bit heartbreaking in places. Henry writes to his grandpa: “Bring a big suitcase and stay a long time… I’ll meet you at the station. My coat has a hood. Look for a boy waving, that’s me.” The feel of this book is old-fashioned, and comforting.

Granny Grommet and Me by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair

Please note, this book is now out of stock at Readings and more stock cannot be supplied in time for Christmas

We’ve had ninjas, butterfly-collectors and now, here are some surfing grannies. This is a great one for the summer, particularly for young children who are nervous about the ocean. As an aside I love the rotundness of Granny Grommet, but more importantly the implication that it takes a village to raise a child and that grannies aren’t just there to pass on tips for stain removal or scone recipes. The book features more lovely pencil and watercolour illustrations by Karen Blair.

Emily Gale