Alice Melvin’s previous book, the highly acclaimed and bestselling The High Street, was a charming evocation of a more genteel, less hurried time when shopkeepers displayed their wares with pride and careful presentation. With her new book, Melvin revisits her own grandmother’s house with some creative licence and obviously great affection. We follow a young girl as she pops into her grandmother’s home for a visit and, as she comfortably follows her routine, also keeps an eye out for grandma: where is she? Flaps and windows reveal snippets of other rooms and the possibility of grandma’s presence.

Every room is a pleasurable and welcoming depiction of a much loved home. As the young visitor goes in search of her grandparent you feel this is a sanctuary that has nurtured a family over many years. Melvin’s style is precise and measured; the colours are rich and tasteful. Here is a world that cocoons the reader in the sure knowledge that everything is as it should be, even if grandma is proving a little elusive. Grandma’s House pays homage to the precious bond that families share. Go ahead and share it with your family, you won’t be disappointed. For ages 3 and up.

Alexa Dretzke