Except from a review on my website: Miss Jenny's Classroom

I don't actually get enough history books coming across my desk and I truly wish I did get more because I LOVE history. In fact it was history that really got me reading widely in my teens and beyond. When I was offered an ARC for this book I immediately said yes but I'll be honest: I didn't know that much about Nelson Mandela.

I know, that might sound odd, but I knew who he was and that he'd been imprisoned. I knew enough about apartheid to carry on a discussion but I really didn't know how all the pieces fit together...until now. This book is dealing with a really big issue - apartheid. I'll be honest in saying that this is a topic that brings out strong emotions and opinions in people (and with good reason) and thus makes it a tricky topic to convey to a reader - let alone in a picture book (more what I would call a Transition Book) format.

One thing that really stood out for me what that this wasn't made into a black vs white debate. It mentions in context thoughts about it and the culture that had developed in the country that led to apartheid occurring but also balances this out showing that while Nelson Mandela fought for change from prison many people of colour and white as well were fighting to end apartheid together.

I really liked the approach of this book with the great-grandchildren asking questions. It's a natural way to tell a story, and especially important in my opinion as this is about a real person. The family vibe really adds to that real person mantra.

It is a story about Nelson Mandela told in uniquely through the eyes of 2 children asking about their granddad Mandela. It was informative and contains complete details regarding Nelson Mandela. It also talks about apartheid. However, I found the storytelling a bit forced. Instead of curious kids who wanted to know more about grandpa, it felt like they were asking their grandma interview questions from school. It was too organized and the answers to the questions were a bit long and complicated. I also did not like the illustrations. It was drawn wonderfully but not catchy for children.

We need to pass the past on to our children, and this is a good book to help do that. A very simple picture book, with questions that the children ask about Grandad Mandela, that their grandmother tries to answer, which allows us to get our questions answered as well.

This book was written by the grand children of Nelson Mandela.

The pictures are bright and appear to be based on photographs, as that pose in the picture below, looks very familiar.

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Good introduction to learning about other countries, as well as learning about discrimination and police brutality.

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And in the end, the message it to help others.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this book, as I am constantly in the look out for books to inspire my young activists. This book did not disappoint!

Grandad Mandela, is a great starting point for elementary children to be introduced to such concepts as apartheid. Written by members of the Mandela family, the story flows just as a small child would question whilst listening to a story. I could hear my daughter in the voices of Mandela’s grandchildren, who are inquisitive, and invoke the emotions of the book in a simplistic way that can be understood by young readers.

The illustrations by Sean Qualls are fitting and bring culture and depth to the picture book. Highly recommended!

Having loved other books published by Frances Lincoln, when approached by the publisher to read Grandad Mandela I decided why not! I am very glad that I did because it was such an informative read that was easy to digest.

I shamefully don’t actually know that much about Nelson Mandela and the apartheid, so this book was a really good introduction to him and what he did. Narrated in a way that’s engaging for children, Grandad Mandela is told from the perspective of his daughter and great-grandchildren as they ask their grandma questions about her father. Add to that it is beautifully illustrated throughout by Sean Qualls, and you’re on to a winner here.

I’d definitely recommend Grandad Mandela for fans of the Little People Big Dreams series, and for those who would like to learn the basics about Nelson Mandela and what he did for South Africa!

Two great-grandchildren of Nelson Mandela ask their grandmother questions about his life which she clearly and directly answers. Illustrations by Sean Qualls match the dignity and directness of the text. A fine introduction to Mandela's life and a good steppingstone to further research.

Grandad Mandela is a picture book that teaches young, through elementary grade, students about Nelson Mandela, African politics and how Mandela fought (without weapons) for his beliefs. The schema of the book is that Mandela's great grandchildren ask questions and their grandmother tells the story. Concepts such as apartheid are simply and clearly explained. This book is a good starting point for children who want to learn about Mandela, social justice and what they, themselves, can do to further Mandela's legacy . Of note is that this book is written by members of the Mandela family.

Grandad Mandela shows the stories of Nelson Mandela's life through the lens of his daughter telling her children stories and answering their questions. Because of this format, the writing can seem quite stilted but I feel that the author managed to cram a lot of important information and messages into very few words on each page.

I think that this would be perfect for slightly older children than the usual picture book demographic due to the importance of the information; I imagine it would be a brilliant way to introduce difficult topics such as racism to a child.

The illustration style is gorgeous. It really evokes a sense of place and culture and fits perfectly with the story.

Overall I would recommend this book to people who want to teach their children more about race and the problems that different people across the world have dealt with. Also it is a great introduction to the importance of Nelson Mandela in history.