Stepping Out With Grandma Mac

Last updated Thursday, April 22, 2004

Author: Nikki Grimes
Illustrator: Angelo
Date of Publication: 2001
ISBN: 0531303209
Grade Level: 4th
Date(s) Used: May 2004

Synopsis: Twenty poems speak to a variety of themes: shared shopping trips, cleaning standards, etiquette, Grandma's gloves. Simple metaphors and carefully chosen vocabulary make these selections read more like conversations than formal poems.

Discussion topics for before reading:

• Who is your favorite relative? Why?
• Discuss that there are different types of poems, and poems do not have to rhyme.
• What do you do when someone is far away and you miss them?

Discussion topics for after reading:

• How are Grandma Mac and the little girl different? Alike?
• Describe Grandma Mac - what kinds of things does she like to do? what does she teach her granddaughter?

Craft ideas:

• Write a poem about your favorite family member, and put it in a card to them.
• Draw a family portrait, and put it in a paper frame.

Special challenge:

• Play a game of charades: act out actions from the book (either write them on pieces of paper for the children to choose, or have them open the book at random) - for example, spritz with cologne, setting the table, slow dancing, brushing teeth, etc.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don’t have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!