The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is a special one. I love watching my daughter spend time with my parents and create new memories and traditions. They have such a special relationship, and I love watching it grow and flourish. In honor of National Grandparents Day (celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day), I gathered a list of children’s books about grandparents for your family to share.

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of With Love, Grandma XOXO and Nanna’s Button Tin in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sharing memories

With Love, Grandma was written by Helen Foster James and illustrated by Petra Brown. This sweet story celebrates the love between a grandparent and a grandchild, as well as the special memories that can be made between them. The story unfolds in a series of letters that the grandmother is writing to her grandchild. She describes the adventures that she is having while they are apart, and reminds the little hedgehog of some of the similar adventures they have had together. There are tons of adorable ideas for families to do together, and the colorful illustrations celebrate the love between grandparents and their grandchildren, no matter how far apart they are.

Nanna’s Button Tin was written by Dianne Wolfer and illustrated by Heather Potter. When a young girl’s teddy bear loses his button eye, she goes searching for the perfect replacement in Nanna’s tin full of buttons. Each button in the tin has a special story attached to it, and her Nanna is happy to share all of the family memories while they sort through them. The heartwarming story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations that show the nostalgic memories and the present day side by side. This is the perfect book to inspire your own family story time also.

Grandma Loves You Because You’re You was written by Liza Baker and illustrated by David McPhail. This heartwarming sequel to I Love You Because You’re You (one of our personal favorites), revisits Little Fox as he spends time with his grandmother. Grandma shares all of her favorite things to do with him, and reminds him how much she loves him. The wonderful message is accompanied by adorable illustrations of the pair taking part in fun activities together.

Babysitting Time

Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa was written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. Everyone’s favorite Llama goes for an overnight visit with his grandparents. But he soon realizes that he forgot his beloved Fuzzy Llama toy. His grandparents try to distract him with a variety of fun activities, but he still misses his stuffed friend. When he has trouble falling asleep, his grandparents come up with a great way to help him through the night. The colorful illustrations are done in Anna Dewdney’s signature style.

How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma were written by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Lee Wildish. These hilarious stories turn the babysitting idea on it’s head, giving kids tips on how to take care of their grandparents. Several of the tips included are funny, while several are very true for being good babysitters. The illustrations are cute and funny, showing kids and grandparents taking part in all kinds of fun activities.

Losing a Loved One

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs was written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Tommy is a 4 year old boy who loves visiting his grandparents and his great-grandmother, who live in the same house. When his 94 year old great grandmother passes away, his parents explain to him that she will not be there anymore, but that she will live on in his memories. This moving story about the loss of a beloved grandparent is accompanied by Tomie dePaola’s gentle illustrations, done in his signature style.

A Grandparent’s Love Starts Before Birth

I Already Know I Love You was written by Billy Crystal and illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. In this rhyming tale, a grandfather talks to his future grandchild. He shares all of the wonderful things that he wants to show the child, as well as the important lessons that he will teach. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed, showing all the future activities that the grandfather and grandchild will do together.

I Loved You Before You Were Born: A Love Letter from Grandma was written by Anne Bowen and illustrated by Greg Shed. As a grandmother prepares for her new grandchild, she dreams and makes wishes for the future. The beautiful illustrations show a variety of sweet family moments through pregnancy and infancy. The grandmother’s dreams come true, and she shares the heartfelt message that Grandma loves you, even before you are born.

Learning Lessons from Grandparents

Grandma’s Kitchen was written by Madison Lodi. Baking with Grandma can be a fun memory making experience. This brightly colored board book uses rhyming text and adorable rabbit characters to showcase the fun tradition. The text also includes lessons on sharing, patience, and spending time with loved ones.

Check out the fun baking activities that we paired with Grandma’s Kitchen!

Because Your Grandparents Love You was written by Andrew Clements and illustrated by R.W. Alley. This cute story follows a young boy and girl as they visit their grandparents on their farm. The grandparents teach them important lessons, while showing patience and understanding. The brightly colored illustrations show the loving relationship between the different generations as they take part in a variety of fun farm activities.

Wishes For Their Grandchildren

Grandma Wishes was written by Julia Lobo and illustrated by Helen Rowe. This sweet rhyming board book shares all of the wishes that grandmothers have for their grandchildren. The rhyming text is soothing and heartwarming, while the colorful illustrations showcase various animals pairs.

Grandpa’s Wish List was written by Madison Lodi and illustrated by Sydney Hanson. This colorful board book follows a badger as he learns that he is a grandfather. He makes a list of all the things that he needs to do to prepare for his new role, and the items on his list all correspond to wishes that he has for the new baby. The sweet story is accompanied by bright and colorful illustrations, which showcase all kinds of fun activities that grandparents and grandchildren may enjoy together.

Spending Time Together

Grandma Kisses and Grandpa Hugs were written by Laura Neutzling and illustrated by Cee Biscoe. These stories are a celebration of time spent with Grandma and Grandpa. The illustrations show all kinds of animals participating in fun family activities, while the rhyming texts explore the best parts about spending time with grandparents.

Grandmas are for Giving Tickles was written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Grandmothers know all kinds of important things, and can help you learn new skills. This cute lift the flap book explores all of the fun things that grandmothers can do with their grandchildren. The illustrations show a variety of diverse grandmother and grandchild pairings participating in all kinds of fun activities and traditions together.

Grandpas Are for Finding Worms was written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Grandfathers can teach you lots of important things. This lift the flap book celebrates all of the fun things that grandfathers can do with their grandchildren, as well as how special they make them feel. The illustrations feature families from diverse backgrounds, while the interactive flaps on the page will engage young readers.

Do you have any special children’s books about grandparents that you read as a family?