If I had as many grandchildren as you review

It's easy to lose sight of the value and importance of life in the middle of a bad day with little ones.  Grandparents have a way of coming along and snatching the kiddos up with arms of unstressful loving fun times.  True, some call it spoiling the grand kids.  But, for someone who has aging grandparents who no longer can give to my kids the same as they did many of my older nieces and nephews, I long for these times when I could call grandma and take the day off.

I was asked to review a book that envelopes these concepts of grandparenting.  I'm not sure which I liked more: the whimsically fun rhyming throughout the book or the amazingly bright photos. Either way, it's a fantastic book for Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 9.

The book is not about comparing the number of grandchildren you have for the purpose of bragging rights.  The book takes a rhyming fun approach of answering the question of a grandparent to many grandchildren who hasn't a clue what to do to entertain the crew.  As the grandparent sits wondering what to do, a lion named Grand Paws appears to give his advice as to what he would do if he had as many grandchildren as "you".

The book continues with fun, Suess-like poetry of ideas of how to spend enjoyable time with the grandchildren, who are anxious to get starting enjoying time with grandma and grandpa.

The suggestions begin with building a sand castle to dressing up in costumes and having a parade.  The suggestions weave in and out of reality to imagination and the amazingly bright pictures correspond to the text.

As the suggestions of imagination and reality intertwine throughout the story, the idea that is delivered is to enjoy the next generation while imparting love and using new talents to share with others to improve everyone's lives.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is:

I'd hang presents and popcorn and candy from trees, so grandkids could pick them whenever they please!  We'd race around chasing big dreams and small bugs..."

Sometimes we'd just do a good deed

Next time you look at your kids or have had an exasperating day, look at the day as if you are a wise old lion giving advice, and answer the question:

"What would I do if I had as many grandchildren as you...?"