by Anna McQuinn
illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
 
A new Lulu book is always the happiest of events for us. (Make yourself happy too by doing a ‘Lulu’ keyword search on our website!) For this outing, Lulu is giddily awaiting Nana-Bibi’s visit. Lulu and Mummy make up her own bed for Nana. Then they blow up a special air bed for Lulu. At last Nana arrives with a case full of gifts for each of them, including a perfect blue rhino toy for Lulu. And now there are outings to be had, hair to be styled, late night family dances and time for Nana to teach Lulu and Mummy how to make mandazi doughnuts. There is so much to pack in! 
 
A gentle story of heritage and family which keeps looping back to matrilineal portraits, from Nana-Bibi telling Lulu about her own nana through to scenes of Lulu/Mummy/Nana spending time together (wearing a shelfful of different head wraps!), most sweetly of all in the double page spread in which Nana braids Mummy’s hair who braids Lulu’s who braids her doll’s. 
 
As ever, McQuinn and Beardshaw excel in the detail, giving a special intimacy to their work: fans will recognise Lulu’s kitty from previous texts; her bedside potted flowers reach back to Lulu Loves Flowers; Nana’s welcoming bunting is inscribed with Swahili phrases including "Nani Kama Mama" (‘who compares to mother?’); there are Tanzanian-branded throw cushions in the domestic scenes; the front inside pages feature ‘childish’ (in Lulu’s hands) crayon drawings showing Nana’s plane travelling from East Africa to Lulu’s house and the back pages show her return flight.  
 
‘Joy shines through this book. Nice to see three generations of the family together. The detail in the illustrations is great’; ‘Great story and illustrations. I wish I had a Nana-Bibi! (Rosalind, Workforce Development Officer &  Meryl, EY Consultant & Trainer- Letterbox Library reviewers). Age 3-6, Hardback 24pp
 
Themes: Diverse Families