Grandma in Blue with Red Hat, words by Scott Menchin, pictures by Harry Bliss. Can a book be absolutely hilarious and tremendously lump-in-your throat moving at the same time? This terrific tribute to artistic pursuits and paying homage to a loved one sure is. The first person narrator, a pensive boy, says farewell to his Grandma as he heads into a giant museum for Saturday art class. Menchin deftly gets into the sometimes goofy head of this lovable lad as instructor Ms. Montebello recites exciting facts about the creative process. When she says that anything can be in an art exhibition, the kid imagines two hipster types admiring a toilet sculpture. The great Harry Bliss does a fantastic job conveying the humor of his reveries. There's a most impressive sequence where the boy's classmates, dubbed "Little Picassos" by their teacher, explain why a wide variety of art works (expertly rendered by Bliss) are in the museum. The boy realizes that all of their answers ("because it's different," "because it's beautiful,", "because it tells a story") all describe his Grandma. And suddenly the book takes on a poignant turn: our hero wants Grandma to be in the museum! But how? It all leads to a triumphant ending that will inspire readers to pick up their paint brushes and create art about the ones they love.
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