title: That's What Grandmas Are For
author:  Harriet Ziefert 
description: PreSchool-KEveryone has seen the sweatshirts and house signs, Grandchildren spoiled here. These titles are little more than book-sized restatements of that sticky-sweet sentiment. For example, If I want pizza and Grandma would rather have Chinese food, she will eat pizza. That's what grandmas are for. If I am dressed in jeans and an old shirt and Daddy wants me to put on clean clothes, or stay home, Grandpa will say I look fine and take me out to lunch anyway. That's what grandpas are for. Haley's paintings of cheery children (why shouldn't they be cheery, they always get their way) and adults reinforce this hymn to complete grandparental devotion. Platitude follows platitude. Try Kate Lum's <i>What! Cried Granny</i> (Puffin, 2002) or Douglas Wood's <i>What Grandmas Can't Do</i> (S &amp; S, 2005) for a little humor to cut all the saccharine.<i>Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: "But, dearie child," Harriet said, in her friendliest manner, "I don't believe
  you had better do that! You're all pretty young, in case anything occurred--"
  
  A mutinous line marked Nina's babyish mouth. She would not yield to any
  nursery control before Amy!
  
  "Granny said it was all right, Miss Harriet, so just don't bother your head
  about us!" she said, airily.
  
  "Yes, I know, dear. But Granny's ideas are old-fashioned--"
  
  "Old-fashioned people are apt to be even more rigid than we are, aren't they?"
  Amy submitted lightly and sweetly.
  
  Harriet, a trifle nonplussed by this determined resistance, stood looking from
  one to the other, pondering.
  
  "Anyway, I'm going!" Nina muttered, lacing high white buckskin shoes, with
  some shortening of breath. "Granny says a girl's brother--"
  
  Harriet paid no further attention to them, and the two developed a splendid
  case for themselves. But she went down to find Ward, and took him partially
  into her confidence. Would he please be a darling, and see tha