Tell us what books you read with your Grandparents to WIN a full set of The Owl and the Pussy-cat picture edition books

Good as books are, they can't unite families. It takes that other thing.

The hungry caterpillar is their fav

I spent a lot of time at my grandparents houses when I was younger.
With my maternal grandparents we mainly played board games such as scabble and draughts, but my paternal grandmother used to either make up stories for these little china figures she had on the fireplace, or read me my favourite book - Three Billy Goats Gruff!

wind in the willows was our favourite

Unfortunately I never had a grandfather, both of them died before I was born. My grandmothers had both died by the time I was 11 and I didn't spend much time with either of them so was never read to. I don't remember my parents reading to me either. Consequently I made sure I read to my children when they were small and I now read to my grandson, one of his favourites is Peepo which was also my sons favourite bedtime story book.

I don't think I was ever read to by anyone but I was given Heidi one Christmas and must of read it 100 times that book transported me.

I only recall one Grandparent, my old Nan, I cannot recall ever reading with her, however, to my shame I do recall spoiling her reading! Old Nan used to take a chair out in the garden, spend ages putting it in the best position and settle down to read her book, I would creep upstairs and sprinkle water down on her, she would think it was raining and come back inside, this I did for years and she never twigged.

It didn't stop there though! I used to creep in her room and she always had a book on her bedside table, I would move the bookmark back several chapters and sit poker faced as she complained that "another book has printing errors, repeating chapters that I have already read!"

so I have memories of books and Grandparents, but not probably what you were looking for!

I am now a Grandparent a have a stack of books waiting to read with our Grandson, I can't wait!

Grimm's Fairy Tales were my favourite to read with my Grandparents, & my parents. I remember how they used to make different voices for the characters speaking & I would sit mesmerised. Some of the stories were quite frightening like The Little Mermaid and what she went through, & The Little Tin Soldier going down the drains, but being snuggled up made me braver. I still love reading today - thanks to them!

Mabel Lucy Atwell books

How odd that so many of us don't remember being read to. Anything that happened before age three is unlikely to be remembered so perhaps we were read to but have forgotten. As AlieOxon says - I can't remember not being able to read so reading must have been encouraged. I certainly remember being sung to and still enjoy singing now. (Not sure if my grandsons agree!)

Like many others here, I have no memory of grandparents reading to, or with, me as they always seemed occupied with chores or catching up with news when we visited. However in the 1950s my mother cleaned and cooked for a very grand old lady and her two unmarried adult children who took it upon themselves to impart culture and learning to me - a timid four year-old. This included visits (Mum included) in their ancient car (with knotted silk tassels to hold on to) to stately homes and other historic sites, and my standing by the son of the house as he played Handel arias on the piano, encouraging me to sing along with him!
I also read 'The Times' to the old lady as she sat in bed draped in her shawl, feeding me very strong khaki-coloured lozenges which made my eyes water. I seem to remember that I faltered on many of the words - 'magnificent' and
'horticulture' come to mind. I also read poems to her and was made to memorize them, so 'The Owl and the Pussycat' figured large in the repertoire and I enjoy reciting this to my grandchildren now.

These enforced activities (which went on as Mum was busy cooking cottage pies and polishing the silver) may seem Dickensian in nature, but I look back on that time with fondness, and what a wonderful preparation it was for my schooling, being immediately elevated to the next class when I started Infant School.

Welsh stories and I didn't have a clue what they where on about

The only grandparent I knew was Georgette my maternal grandmother who was French. She used to read and tell me stories in French and although my grammar is shaky in the extreme my accent was formed in those early years. I remember endless stories about cats and kittens and lots of French nursery rhymes with actions. My favourite was Malbrouk s'en va t' en guerre, La Mère Michel et J'ai du bon tabac.

It makes feel a little sad but I do not remember my grandparents reading to me or with me at all however I have very happy memories of spending a great deal of time with my maternal grandfather in his garden and allotment.

I love my garden often think of granddad as I am pottering away.

My granddaughters and I spend a lot of time reading together which is lovely. Even the youngest who is 13 months thinks she can read and has her book and gabbles away while turning the pages.

I had a Ladybird book called Lost at the Fair, which was the story, in rhyme, of a little dormouse who was befriended by a family of dormice and taken to the fair with them.

It begins
'Fast asleep was Dormouse Cottage
Up on silent sunny hill
All the dormice lay a-sleeping
Everything was very still
Came a muffled heavy knocking
On the cottage window pane
Mrs Dormouse rose and listened
Rubbed her eyes, and yawned again.'

Apparently I could recite the whole book at the age of 3. My grandma must have been the one who originally read it to me, because when I went to her house every Wednesday to stay the night with her, we would play at Lost at the Fair. We would set up a candy stall in the living room with sticks of rock bought from the sweet shop, and play at rescuing the dormouse who got lost.

I absolutely loved this book, partly for the rhyme and partly for the lovely illustrations of the dormice and the fair, with its helterskelter and coconut shies, and because my Grandma made the story come to life.

I got a copy for my own children in due course, and since the DGCs have come along have managed to get second-hand copies from Amazon for them too.

I'd like to turn this around because all but one grandparent had died by the time I was born. The remaining one died when I was about 18mths I believe.

So the favourite one of all that this grandparent has read to her grandchildren is Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. Published in 1947.
The text is rhyming and I think of it as a lullaby.

My Nan would always tell me a story about how she met my granddad but she would tell the story like it was a Cinderella tale. she would always tell this story on a sunday evening at her house while we sat eating angel cake and drinking ginger beer. such memories!

gillybob my sister has that copy of Heidi, my sister is a year younger than your mum and she got it for Christmas 1948 with love from mammy and daddy

Rubbish, my sister is a year older than your Mum. My brain is fuddled this morning.

My grandparents didn't read to me, and I don't remember my parents reading to me either. I read to my children a lot, from a very early age and I was delighted when my 28 year old son was talking with his girlfriend about children's books and recalled my reading with great enthusiasm. I always enjoyed reading with them and we listened to audiobooks on long car journeys.

I can not remember either set of Grandparents reading to me, sadly one set died when I was young.
My parents always read me a bed time story. We used to read to our children a lot and now to the grandchildren

My Grandmother read poetry to me over an early morning cup of tea. The wreck of the Hespress, the Ancient Mariner etc.

My Gran never read tome and I don't have memories of my parents reading to me. I do remember reading Janet and John books and also Heidi.

I never read any books with my grandparents (only two). My mother read Romany books to us, encouraging us to appreciate nature. I always read to my children, and now my grandchildren. How times change!

I'm Sorry and sad.
I didn't have Grandparents at all to read to me.
My maternal grandmother died when my Mum was 2 weeks old and her dad died when my mum was 15.
My paternal grandfather died when my oldest sister was a few months old and my fathers mum died when my second sister was small so none of them ever saw me.

I was born in 1941 and books were few and far between.
I was never encouraged to read at home and only became an avid reader when I got married. Both my daughters and all 4 grandchildren love books and I read to them several times a week and get great pleasure from it
The one book I have from my Mum was a school prize she got for perfect attendance and is about wild flowers.