Children of all ages will love, and learn from, this beautifully illustrated book. It tells an endearing story about a grandma who excitedly purchases her first computer only to find herself in a perplexing situation; she knows nothing about computers. Will her young grandson Timmy be able to help her? This book shows how teaching and learning about computers can be a delightful bonding experience closing the gap between generations.
The Story Behind This Book
My retired mother used to constantly call me at work wanting me to do things for her which could easily be done from a computer. I finally convinced her to purchase her own computer, but she was having a lot of difficulty trying to figure it out. So, that summer, I sent my son over to teach her all she needed to know. This experience gave me the idea to write "Grandma's First Computer.
Praise and Reviews
When I saw this book posted for a review request, I knew that I
wanted to read and review it. The title says it all. I immediately
thought of the past several years of attempting to bring my own mother
into the computer age. It has been a slow and go process and one day,
she will finally give in and buy a computer. The frustrating thing is
that she has taken some classes and does very well in the classes, but
then when it comes time to buy, she postpones because “she needs to
know more about that whole internet thing.” I haven’t given up hope.
In the story, if you haven’t guessed it already, Grandma goes out
and buys a computer. The problem is that once it has been delivered,
she has absolutely no idea what to do with it. Fortunately for Grandma,
her grandson Timmy shows up unexpectedly and comes to her rescue. He
assists her in connecting the unit up and explaining some of the parts
as he goes. This allows an opportunity for Grandma to become confused
by the lingo.
“Almost done,” said Timmy. “All I have to do now is connect the mouse.”
“MOUSE,” shouted Grandma. “Did you see a mouse?” “Oh my,” she thought. “Kitty must not be doing her job.”
The illustrations for the story, done by Acesgraphics, are darling.
If Timmy were a blond, he could have passed for a cartoon version of my
nephew when he was that age. Grandma’s First Computer
is a very short, but charming educational story which details computer
components in a simple to understand manner. Linda Hayes combines the
educational features with the bonding between two very different
generations and does it with humor and simplicity.
The story winds up with Timmy telling Grandma she has a lot to
learn, so we may expect to see another book with Timmy and Grandma in
the future. I’m not so sure that senior citizen groups will appreciate
that all of the seniors in the book are depicted with canes, or that it
is intimated that no senior citizen knows anything about computers, but
the target audience of young children will want to read it again and
again. This is a must read for the young school age.
