Inspired by a discussion she had with her two children after their Grandma Bubbie died, Michelle Gilman wrote What Grandma Built (Harbour, 2016) to capture her mother's legacy and what made her special. In many ways this whimsical story is about the difference between a house and a home. In the story, Grandma finds the perfect spot for her home on the shore of a lake, on stone foundations so it can last forever. As her family gets bigger, the house grows into a castle, a magical place brimming with love and traditions. Whole walls are reserved for family photos and grandchildren's drawings, and a huge playground fills the yard.

Michelle Gilman was raised in Winnipeg, MB, and enjoyed summers at Lake of the Woods -- the setting for What Grandma Built. She completed her Master of Education, specializing in Special Education, and worked as a resource teacher for five years before becoming an associate professor at Arizona State University. She subsequently moved with her husband and two children to Vancouver where she wrote What Grandma Built.

BOOKS

What Grandma Built (Harbour, 2016) $14.95 978-1-55017-753-4 Illustrations by Jazmin Sasky

[BCBW 2016]