Dr. Toughlove's Book Club

Dr. Toughlove is excited to review a newly published book entitled “Nana in the Country” by Caldecott Honor winner Lauren Castillo. Castillo (author and illustrator) has written several children’s books and illustrates books for other authors as well. If Lauren Castillo’s name sounds familiar, it may be because Dr. Toughlove reviewed the first book in the “Nana series” entitled “Nana in the City” in October 2021.

This time around, instead of going to the city to see his Nana, the protagonist hosts Nana at his country home. Unlike Nana’s apartment in the city, the country house has a comfy front porch, a tree swing, sheep, flowers, ladybugs, butterflies, chickens and all things country. Castillo’s illustrations capture the country setting to perfection.

There is only one thing troubling Nana’s loving grandson — Nana seems to know everything about the country. She’s not afraid of crawly things, she likes his black cat, she knows about birdies in their nest, and she’s happy to feed and tuck in the animals at night. Nana taught him so much about the city — what can he teach her about the country that she doesn’t already know?

Dr. Toughlove doesn’t want to give the story away, but as luck would have it, Nana does learn a valuable lesson about the country from her grandson. And more importantly, the experience strengthens their love for each other in a very natural and understated way.

Dr. Toughlove gravitates towards books where colorful illustrations help tell the story. Lauren Castillo does a masterful job of conveying the emotions of the characters and the glorious setting. As is often the case, the children will see subtleties and nuances in the words and pictures that the adults might miss. A lively conversation can ensue between the reader and the listener.

After reading “Nana in the Country”, the reader can read “Nana in the City” aloud and invite the youngster to compare and contrast the two books. While the universal theme of the loving relationship between Nana and her grandson is evident in both books, there are ample opportunities to highlight the differences.

In addition to all of its positive attributes, “Nana in the Country” makes a wonderful gift for a new grandmother. “Nana in the Country” is a great book for kids aged 4-7, and is available at your local library.

Join Carol Franks-Randall, retired educator and children’s book author, living in Centreville, each month as she writes children’s book reviews as Dr. Toughlove, one of the protagonists in her first book, “Jamal and Me.” Check out her website at https://carolfranksrandall.com.