The best children's books about grandparents include Grandad's Island by Benji Davies, The Forgettery by Rachel Ip, Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks and Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson.

Updated October 2026 by the LoveReading4Kids editorial team. The books in this collection were chosen by our editors and expert reviewers, from rhyming picture books to share on a grandparent's lap to funny, moving novels for older readers.

Our top picks at a glance

  • Best to read aloud with Grandad: Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks. A bouncy rhyming celebration of all kinds of grandads, from bakers to builders to fishermen (ages 3-6).
  • Best for a sleepover at Grandma's: How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan. Funny tips for keeping your grandma busy, from trips to the park to bedtime, and a great gift to or from a grandparent (ages 3-6).
  • Best for talking about memory loss: The Forgettery by Rachel Ip. Amelia and her forgetful granny find a magical place where everything ever forgotten is kept; our LoveReading4Kids review calls it “a book full of light and laughter” (ages 3-4).
  • Best for saying goodbye: Grandad's Island by Benji Davies. Syd and Grandad sail to a faraway island, where Grandad decides to stay; a gentle story about loss and love (ages 3-6).
  • Best for sharing memories: Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate. Grandad's photo albums of travels with Gramps inspire his granddaughter to fix up their old campervan (ages 3-4).
  • Best for exploring together: Grandma's House by Alice Melvin. Cut-out pages lead from room to room as Sally searches her grandma's house, up to a fold-out attic (ages 3-6).
  • Best funny read for 7+: I Lost My Granny in the Supermarket by Jo Simmons. Harry's day looking after his tiny gran involves a theme park, a wallaby and a fork-lift truck (ages 7-8).
  • Best for 9-12: Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams. Jack's grandpa, a former RAF pilot, is convinced it's 1940, and the two plan a daring escape (ages 9-12).

Celebrating Grandparents Day

Sunday 5th October is Grandparents Day. It's been celebrated on the first Sunday in October since 2008 to honour grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children and to help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

To celebrate our grandparents by giving them their time in the spotlight, we have selected a collection of books which are perfect to read with your elders, or about them to make you feel closer when you are apart.

Our editors' favourite grandparent stories

For new grandparents, When I became Your Granny is a very special book for baby, toddler, 3+ children. A picture book depiction of a day in the life of a big and small panda provides an opportunity to describe the very special relationship between grandmother and grandchild.

For grandads, My Grandpa is the stunning picture book, a moving and memorable book about the very special relationship between an elderly grandfather and his adoring grandson, this unique look at old age through the eyes of a young bear is big-hearted, poignant and beautifully observed.

If you wish to read a book to remember grandparents no longer with us, we highly recommend Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande for 3+ children. The story is told with immense tenderness, the illustration that shows us that Dadaji has gone is particularly sensitive, with a tremendous sense of warmth. This is a very special book to share with young children with its reassurance that love lives for ever. Tibble and Grandpa is another sensitive story about love, loss and the wonder of families.

If you're looking for a funny heart-warming tale for 7+ readers, we must shout about I Lost My Granny in the Supermarket by Jo Simmons and Nathan Reed. This is a book to cheer everyone up, whether they are 11 or 74, and a gorgeous example of an intergenerational relationship too. And of course Anisha, Accidental Detective: Granny Trouble is another hilarious adventure for Anisha and her madcap family. 

For 9+ readers Seed by Caryl Lewis and Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson are both endearing tales with bucketfuls of heart and humour.

Whether it's this Grandparents Day, or any day of the year, dive into these books and remember why our grandparents are so special.

Children's books about grandparents, by age

Picture books for toddlers and preschoolers

  • Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks and Nia Tudor: each grandad gets a lively double page, and the rhyme is a treat to read aloud (ages 3-6).
  • How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish, from the team behind the bestselling How to Babysit a Grandad: tips for becoming an expert grandma-sitter on a sleepover (ages 3-6).
  • Grandad's Secret Giant by David Litchfield: Billy doesn't believe Grandad's tale of a giant who does good deeds around town, until he learns the secret is real (ages 3-6).
  • Grandma Bird by Benji Davies: Noi, from The Storm Whale, is not sure about staying on Grandma's tiny island, until a dramatic rescue (ages 5-6).
  • Shu Lin's Grandpa by Matt Goodfellow: when Shu Lin's grandpa shows the class his Chinese paintings, everything changes for the new girl. It was shortlisted for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal 2022 (ages 5-6).

Gentle books about memory loss, illness and loss

  • The Forgettery by Rachel Ip: never mentions dementia directly, but ends with Amelia making a memory book for her granny (ages 3-4).
  • Grandpa and the Kingfisher by Anna Wilson: over a year, a child watches kingfishers with Grandpa and learns about the circle of life. The author wrote it in memory of her father (ages 3-4).
  • Grandad's Island by Benji Davies: shortlisted for the Children's Book Award 2017 and the UKLA 2017 Book Award (ages 3-6).
  • Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate: a story of love, renewal and memories that won the British Book Award for Children's Illustrated Book of the Year (ages 3-4).
  • Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande: a boy who loses his grandfather finds a way to continue his legacy; longlisted for the Jhalak Children's & Young Adult Prize 2023 (ages 3-6).

Funny and moving novels for 7-12

  • I Lost My Granny in the Supermarket by Jo Simmons: extremely silly, very funny, and a warm picture of an intergenerational friendship (ages 7-8).
  • Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson: Frank inherits a fortune that must be spent caring for the grandpa he never knew he had. It was shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023 (ages 9-10).
  • Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams: an adventure with Spitfires over London and a breakout from an old people's home, and a moving portrait of a boy and his grandpa, who has dementia (ages 9-12).
  • The Granny Project by Anne Fine: when Mum and Dad plan to move Granny into a home, the children turn her into a school project to change their minds (ages 9-12).

Books for grandparents to read to grandchildren

If you are a grandparent looking for a book to share, these are the ones we would reach for first.

  • A rhyme to read aloud: Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks, which our review says is a treat to read aloud and rewarding to read over and over.
  • Something to spot and explore: Grandma's House by Alice Melvin, with cut-out pages to peer through and a fold-out attic.
  • A story for a sleepover: How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan, with a section on what to do when you are both tucked up at bedtime.
  • A book to start your own memories: Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate, built around a grandad's photo albums, or The Forgettery by Rachel Ip, which ends with a memory book.
  • A chapter book to read together: I Lost My Granny in the Supermarket by Jo Simmons, which our review describes as a book to cheer everyone up, whatever their age.

Questions we get asked

What are the best children's books about grandparents?

For young children, try Grandad's Island by Benji Davies, Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks and The Forgettery by Rachel Ip. For older readers, Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson and Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams are funny and moving.

What books can grandparents read to grandchildren?

Rhyming picture books such as Grandads Are the Greatest by Ben Faulks are made for reading aloud, and How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan is a playful choice for a sleepover. For school-age children, I Lost My Granny in the Supermarket by Jo Simmons is a funny chapter book to share.

Is there a children's book about a grandparent with dementia?

The Forgettery by Rachel Ip is a picture book about a granny who forgets things, which our review says offers a warm and comforting way to talk about dementia. For ages 9-12, Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams features a grandpa with dementia.

Is there a picture book about a grandparent who has died?

Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande tells of a boy whose grandfather dies, and our review praises its “reassurance that love lives for ever”. Grandad's Island by Benji Davies and Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate also explore loss gently.

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