A sweet and uplifting story, based on a real school in Phangane, India. A little girl walks her Aaji (grandmother) to the Aajibaichi Shala (grandmother school), created by the girl's teacher, who thought all the residents of the village should be able to read and write, even the grandmothers who weren't allowed to go to school when they were children. The joy of Aaji and the other women can be felt in the illustrations, as can the pride the little girl feels for Aaji. The artwork is wonderful- the colorful, bright mixed-media spreads are filled with gorgeous detail, and really bring the story to life. Definitely recommended!

#GrandmotherSchool #NetGalley

Grandmother School is an absolutely charming book. The story was so sweet and meaningful. Also the illustrations are beautiful. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy.

Grandmother School is a sweet little book based on real events.

Many grandmothers in India can't read or write. In one village, a teacher sought to change that and created the Aajibaichi Shala, or Grandmother School. Every day, the children walk their grandmothers in their bright pink saris to the school, where they learn reading and basic arithmetic.

Though this story is narrated by a fictional little girl, it's based on what happened in Phangane, India in 2016. So those who are looking for picture books with a non-fiction bent might want to check this one out.

The mixed-media illustrations are charming and colourful, depicting the village, its inhabitants, and the Aajibaichi Shala in vibrant hues. They compliment the story nicely, especially as they incorporate a few words written in the Marathi alphabet.

Overall, this is a lovely book. Kids who don't live in India are liable to find this an eye-opening experience; they might not take their own grandmothers' literacy for granted after reading this story!

Grandmother School is based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India. Because girls did not go to school in many countries, most grandmothers in India are illiterate. Each morning, the narrator walks her grandmother (aaji) to the Aajibaichi Shala (Grandmother School) in her uniform, a bright pink sari. As a retired teacher, this story thrilled me. I believe it is never too late to learn and that we are never too old. Basic reading, writing and mathematics is what the Aajis learn. I loved the happiness shown when her grandma learns to write her name. Ellen Rooney's illustrations are wonderful. The colourful, vibrant illustrations are done in mixed media. I love that the words grandmother is learning are incorporated into the illustrations. The clothing, language, village and people are well depicted. This book can be used to teach so many things, literacy, education in third world countries, multiculturalism, generational relationships and following your dreams. This book would be a great addition to classroom and school libraries as well as public libraries. I am not sure what the author's intended audience is for this book, but my 6 year old grandson liked the pictures, but had difficulty with the concepts. I think it would be great to use with older primary and early junior age children (8 to 10).

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This is such an amazing book! Loved the art style and the way the story is told and its so cool its based off a true story!

One of the most beautifully illustrated books I've seen comes out on May 5 🎉 "Grandmother School" is based on the true story of a school located in a remote village in India that was created just for grandmothers.

In this touching and sweet book, we learn about Aaji and the other courageous grandmothers in her village that are working to escape the shame and prison of illiteracy. The narrator is Aaji's precocious granddaughter. She proudly recalls how much her grandmother enjoys learning and about the special moments they share while going over their respective schoolwork.

This book is definitely a gem and would make a great addition to any home or class library.

Thank you #NetGalley!

An absolute gift to young readers everywhere; an incredibly sweet and empathetic story about a school for older women in India. Beautifully illustrated and subtly moving. I adore this!

I genuinely loved this book! Not only because its based on a real school but it proves it is NEVER to late to get a education. I also really enjoyed that she was learning to write in hindi because I’m currently learning hindi as well.

What a beautiful picture book! This book is based on a true story of a teacher who in 2016 in India decided to creat a school for grandmother's to learn basic writing, reading, and math skills. These grandmothers were never given the chance to go to school, but now they do. The illustrations are beautiful with vibrant colors. The text is nice and lends itself to a great read-aloud for ages 5-8 y/o, with room for discussion.

Beautiful (Albeit Short!) Children's Book That Shows Its Never Too Late to Learn & Education Is LIFELONG!

I first got this book, "Grandmother School" as being Indian-American (first-generation American who was born & raised in the United States to parents that emigrated from India in their 20s) I seem to be particularly drawn towards books by Indian or Indian-American authors,

So when I came across this book, "Grandmother School" by Rina Singh, while browsing on Netgalley, I knew I had to get it, and after reading it, I'm GLAD I did!

Because "Grandmother School" is a cute children's book based on the true story of the "Aajibaichi Shala" which literally translates to grandmother's school (the word "Aaji" is grandmother in Marathi, the word "bai" is a term of respect like Mrs, the word "chi" denotes ownership, and the word "Shala" is school) and is about the classes started in a village in India, to like the title says, allow older women who were denied the chance to attend school growing up to learn reading, writing & arithmetic. In those days, boys were even more favored in India (and elsewhere) than they are now, and their education was prioritized over girls. While the education of boys were seen as the hope & future of families, especially poor families, girls were usually seen as both a burden (since their parents would have to pay both the dowry to the groom's family and the costs of the wedding, when they married) as well as a waste of money to educate (since after the girl married she'd be leaving to live with their husband & likely his family, and her education would not be of any benefit, whether financial or otherwise to her birth family)

But I digress..............

This book tells the story of the un-named little girl (the book is written in first-person format) narrator's grandmother, who goes to school for the first time as an old(er) woman and her amazement & excitement as she learns to read, write and add & subtract.

"Grandmother School" is a GREAT children's picture book that teaches kids that its never too late to educate oneself — no matter what one's chronological age is!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

This is a vibrantly illustrated story about a girl, her grandmother and a grandmother school in India. The classrooml was created to help grandmothers obtain the education that they were denied when younger. 

Readers and listeners will delight in the close relationship between a young girl and her grandmother who both want to learn.  Those who pick up this story will feel the joy when grandmother no longer needs to sign with her fingerprint at the bank but can write her name.  She is on a learning adventure and fee;s such self-respect..

This title helps all of us appreciate what it means to get an education and to take joy in learning and family.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I picked it because it featured a grandmother. Being a grandmother myself I knew that I would enjoy the story of the special bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter. It is a very special connection. BUT this story is so much more. It is the true story of a group of grandmothers in a small village in India given the chance to learn the alphabet and to learn some early math. Because one teacher believed in the importance of everyone knowing how to read these woman who had been held back from learning their whole life were finally able to. This teacher used his own money to build a school dedicated to the grandmothers. Their enjoyment of and pride in learning shine through on every page. The illustrations are beautifully done to compliment the story. With bright colors and elegantly drawn faces that highlight the pride of the grandmothers, granddaughters, teacher and other family members. 5 stars is not enough

This book is written for students in grades 1 - 3 it has a message for all.. It is a heartwarming story that will stay with you for a long time.

Thanks to Orca and NetGalley for sending me an ARC.  Being from India, I have been consciously exploring children’s literature that I can expose to my American-born son. The beautiful cover of this book caught my eye - and this book was exactly what I was looking for.
Grandmother School is written by Rina Singh, a Canadian writer famous for other children’s books on Indian culture. As the name suggests, this story is about a school for grandmothers. This is a special school set up in a small village in India to promote literacy among the older generation of women. Every morning, all the kids in the village walk their grandmothers to a school where these women learn to read and write. 
Inspired by a true story, the highlight of the book is its message and illustrations. Literacy among women is truly a privilege in developing countries in India. Few generations ago, society considered the education of women unnecessary and it left many women behind. 
Grandmother School beautifully captures the enthusiasm these elderly women have at a chance to learn. It also relays the sense of pride and accomplishment that Aaji feels when she can write her name or sign her documents at the bank. 
Ellen Rooney’s illustrations are eye-catching, colorful and authentic. I sat with my 6-year-old and we went through page-by-page identifying things that we had seen on our trips to India- like the vegetable seller, the man on the bicycle, the mango trees, etc.
It was also cool to see Hindi on the pages, even though the spelling of some words in Hindi was wrong (Bank, cycle, etc). If it’s possible, the publishers should fix those before they release the book.
The story could have been a few pages shorter. The whole story about Shivaji seemed superfluous and just a good excuse to get some stunning illustrations in.
It was a lovely read, easy to understand and beautiful to flip through.