Author Ric Dilz knows what appeals to today’s hip grandmas…or at least to this one! He’s created a children’s book series titled My Grandma Could Do Anything that shows a smiling grandma engaged in fun, challenging adventures that she doesn’t actually do, but she could.

I brought these compact little books (6″x6″) with me on a recent road trip and both my granddaughters, ages 7 and 3, had fun repeating the refrain on each page: But she could! Dilz has a wonderful sense of humor and imagination that comes through in his whimsical drawings and little inside jokes. Some may go over the children’s heads but are not lost on the adults who read them aloud. For example, grandma’s on a plane and says: My grandchild keeps my smile in its upright and locked position or the grandma ballerina who says: My grandchild is tutu cute!

Dilz wants his readers to have fun with his books, especially grandmas. Being a baby boomer, he saw that attitudes were changing about grandmas and wanted to show them in a new perspective. “Today’s grandmas have a new take on their role—they’re young and hip and enjoy more challenging adventures.”

He started doing t-shirts for babies 20 years ago to have fun with word play. The onesies have edgy one-liners on them like Party! My crib. 3:00 am. Then in 2004, he wanted to do something new with his humor and put it in book form by playing up the youthfulness of grandmas.

The My Grandma Could Do Anything series includes grandma at the zoo, in the Rocky Mountains, and his most popular, in Hawaii with grandma surfing, snorkeling and doing the hula. They all end with the “one thing grandma does best—loves me!”

On the back cover Dilz adds one final bit of humor with his disclaimer: No grandmas were harmed in the making of this book!

Reading Helps Cultivate Empathy

Reading a book is a unique opportunity to see the world from another person or thing’s perspective. When a child reads a book, whether it is a fantastical story about an object come to life or a very real article about a neighboring country, he or she becomes a part of that world and sees life, however briefly, through the eyes of another. Children are uniquely able to accept and invest in the reality created in what they are reading. Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco is one book that can help cultivate empathy. In this book, Polacco shows how friendship can cross racial and generational lines, as she reminds us to always strive for truth and justice for ourselves and others.

By reading varied stories and texts from diverse authors, our children are exposed to the unique points of view of many different people and learn to empathize with people in situations contrasting greatly from their own. Another wonderful book for thinking about empathy is Roni Schotter’s Mama, I’ll Give You the World. In this lovely story a girl wants to give her mother a very special gift. As stories like this one demonstrate, empathetic people are kinder to others and listen more carefully to those around them. It is a wonderful gift books can give.

Reading Gives Children a Sense of Community

Great children’s book authors recognize that children have extraordinary power to shape their own worlds. Through reading, you can give your child a sense of his or her own power in shaping and creating a powerfully loving community. A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams can help children to think about how important kindness and generosity are in a community.

Whether it is in the family, at school, in the larger communities of sports or friendship, stories show your child that he or she does not have to wait to become a grown-up to impact the world. Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston shares the story of two little girls who become friends and how one teaches the other to read. This small gift makes a big difference in both their worlds. There are so many wonderful stories that help our children understand their own capabilities and also appreciate the communities of which they are a part.

Books Indulge Children’s Imaginations

Imagination is a powerful force. It can give our children the power to transcend their environments, invent new ideas, develop breakthroughs, and believe in miracles. Books invite us to indulge our imaginations. They help us to cultivate them and they allow imagination to take a place of esteem and respect. Dream Carver by Diana Cohn, a story of a little boy who is inspired to create new toys based on what he imagines, will encourage children to be inspired by their imaginations and not let others discourage them.

As a child reads a truly remarkable story, they are picturing that world in their mind’s eye and flexing their imaginative muscles to create a world of their own. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson allows children to enter another child’s imaginative world, while reinforcing the value of their own creativity. Imaginative books nurture our children to grow into people who invent and innovate, who conceive and create.

Nine years ago author and grandmother Sharon Niederhaus enrolled in a Master’s program at Stanford University and wrote her thesis on multigenerational living. The following year her brother, John Graham, told Sharon that the Wall Street Journal had just done a cover story on multigenerational living. He proposed co-authoring a book since it was such a hot topic and in 2007 they published Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living.

Multigenerational Living is a Growing Trend

Last year 6.6 million U.S. households had at least three generations of family members living together, according to the census. That’s an increase of 30% since 2000. Fifty years ago it was common for three generations to live together, says Niederhaus. But over the past five decades the American family has shifted to the “nuclear family” with mom, dad, and kids living in isolation, creating the challenge of who will care for the children and the elderly.

“One way to meet both these needs is for families to return to pre-World War II living styles where extended families lived in close proximity to one another,” says Niederhaus. “Grandparents could help raise their grandchildren. Then, later in life, they would be nearby to receive help with their own care, if needed.”

Niederhaus and Graham have written a comprehensive guide to understanding  the benefits, practicalities, and challenges of multigenerational living. They give advice on how to start a conversation with your aging parents about living together, who should be involved, and deciding whether it’s even a possibility.

The authors were motivated to write the book after dealing with their younger brother’s deteriorating health, his long-term care and premature death at the age of 45. Visiting him in the nursing home left them questioning how the sick and elderly are cared for in our society. They thought there must be better, more compassionate ways to care for family without such separation and isolation.

Managing Multigenerational Living

Niederhaus interviewed 100 families across the U.S. to learn how they managed multigenerational living. Their success stories illustrate that proximity and privacy are two key words to think of when you begin the process of deciding what type of housing to use for extended family living. Ideally, they suggest a separate entrance and kitchen for the different generations.

Once you’ve made the decision to live together with family members, there are a variety of ways to accomplish it. The book discusses the different options by giving real-life stories of people living in houses with accessory apartments, duplexes, townhouses next-door, two or more condos in the same building, family compounds, co-housing, and mobile homes.

According to Niederhaus, about one-third of American houses have the space to add an accessory unit. The book includes illustrations of home conversions and stories of families who’ve converted their homes, garages, and basements to accommodate another family member.

Accessibility is another important issue to consider. The book states “so many of us are living in ‘Peter Pan’ housing—built as if no one ever ages. The typical single-family house is designed for people who will never grow old.”

The book identifies four challenges to getting together again with your extended family: financial and legal, building and zoning codes, psychological, and the most interesting, overcoming cultural stigmas. The authors explain that America’s emphasis on independence has stigmatized boomerang kids and grandparents who are living with their kids. “Americans feel incorrectly guilty about the interdependence that will always exist across generations of family members.”

The final chapter of the book includes practical answers to the big question people have when considering living together: how do you keep the peace? Their advice is organized into issues related to getting along: family meetings, communication preferences, relationship issues, privacy, shared responsibilities, accommodating personal preferences, childcare, and family fun.