Tonie - Vanessa Brantley Newton: Grandma's Purse and Other Stories

Grandma's Purse: When Grandma Mimi comes to visit, she always brings warm hugs, sweet treats...and her purse. You never know what she'll have in there - fancy jewelry, tokens from around the world, or something special just for her granddaughter. It might look like a normal bag from the outside, but Mimi and her granddaughter know that it's pure magic!

Just Like Me is a collection of poetry filled with engaging mini-stories about girls of all kinds: girls who feel happy, sad, scared, powerful; girls who love their bodies and girls who don't; country girls, city girls; girls who love their mother and girls who wish they had a father. This exquisite treasury will have kids listening through it to find a poem that's just for them.

Becoming Vanessa: On Vanessa's first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. Vanessa isn't so sure. But when her mother tells her the meaning behind her name, it gives her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa. For fans of Alma and How She Got Her Name and The King of Kindergarten, this story will help kids just starting school transform from timid caterpillars into beautiful butterflies so they can love who they are.

Nesting Dolls: Anyiaka is in awe of her gorgeous Gullah Geechee family. Her Grandma’s artwork—a special set of nesting dolls—also shows that what’s on the outside doesn’t always tell the whole story. While they may be distinct, together, her family’s beauty and inner strength have deep roots that have been growing within each of them for generations.

This Tonie teaches kids about:

• Individuality
• Self-acceptance
• Poetry
• Family values