Grandad's Camper: A picture book for children that celebrates LGBTQIA+ families

Product Information

As they look through photo albums, he talks fondly about how they travelled the world together in their beloved pink campervan. It's so important that little ones grow up and see their type of family set-up reflected in the books you share with them. It was inspired by their university dissertation, which revealed a lack of representation for older LGBTQIA+ characters in children’s books.

I purchased this book for my ten year old girls who have outgrown picture books a bit but the stunning illustrations inspired them as little artist and they absolutely loved the story an the characters. The book reflects on an aspect of mature gay life, a piercing sense of loss, and in the child, of the possibilities still to be found.Her favourite pastime, however, is to snuggle up with Grandad while he shares tales of his past adventures with Gramps. The illustrations are full of warmth, colour and joy, beautifully echoing the excitement of discovery and adventure.

This picture book, in which a girl helps her grandfather embrace life again following the death of Gramps, may well aid young readers in understanding others' grief. Grandad's camper van is hidden away in the garage - now Gramps isn't around any more, the adventures they shared travelling in it just wouldn't be the same. This beautiful picture book honors love and reminds us not only to remember those we have lost, but to celebrate them. This poignant tale acknowledges the sadness of losing a loved one, but also celebrates the pleasure of remembering those who have touched our lives. Harry Woodgate (they/them) is a multi-award-winning author and illustrator, whose debut picture book Grandad’s Camper won the British Book Awards Nibbie for Children's Illustrated Book of the Year and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize , and named as an ALA Stonewall Honor Book .

At the other end of the book the van rests under a heavy terracotta sunset, the journey ended, or at least paused. This is an important text in terms of the representation of LGBTQIA+ relationships and portraying different family structures.

For the hope for new adventures, and the glimpse of intergenerational kindness and understanding, this lovely book should be on every shelf. This is the story of a small girl who loves visiting her Grandad and rummaging through the artefacts from his travels. An effective tool for teaching empathy, and the intergenerational bond at the story's center is a heartstrings puller. He describes their first holiday in Gramps' camper van, and how Gramps told him he wanted them to see all the wonderful things in the world together. Inspired by these tales, the narrator encourages Grandad to fix up the van, and the two take it for a road trip to the beach.Waterstones Children’s Book Award Winner and British Book Awards Nibbies Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year 2023! While there, the protagonist, who narrates, and their grandfather play the usual games and do the usual activities, but Grandad also tells stories about how he and Gramps, a man of color who is now deceased, met and fell in love while traveling in an old VW microbus. Children create labels for the items, then explore the concept of memories by thinking about how things special to them hold memories and form connections to times and events in our lives.

The little girl has an idea and together they tend to the camper van and take it to the beach, just like Gramps would have wanted. It is clear that the love of grandad's life (Gramps)' s a man but the book never feels the need to state this in an overt way, it is lovely how this fact is just a natural part of the story.

This is a beautiful, sweet, touching and honest story of a tender conversation between a grandad and granddaughter. Delightfully colourful and carrying a warm, positive message of inclusion and love, Woodgate's uplifting picture book depicts a grandad recapturing the adventures of his youth courtesy of his granddaughter. Immediately on opening the book you are greeted with the most breathtaking bucolic scene across the endpapers as Grandad and Gramps drive rambling hills in their pink camper van. The little girl can see how much her Grandad loved travelling and how much he loved Gramps, and asks him why he doesn't travel any more, but Grandad just can't see the point without Gramps. That child is inspired to help Grandad dust off the old camper/bus in the garage, give it a new blue stripe, change a tire, and start out for new adventures.