Oma and Opa Books by Kevin Donovan

The Oma and Opa Books by Kevin Donovan are a delightful series that teaches children about their German heritage. Kevin Donovan got his idea for these books after living in Germany for a few years with his German wife Helga and their young children.

The concept is simple: English-speaking children visit their Oma and Opa and learn new German words and traditions. So far, there is a book about visiting Opa, one about going to the Zoo, and a beautiful book about Christmas Traditions called “Oma and Me: A Christmas Story.” Mariana Dragomirova’s illustrations are bright and fit the stories perfectly.

These books are an excellent way for Omas and Opas to share their German heritage with grandkids who grew up in America.

Oma and Me: A Christmas Story

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Oma and Opa Books by Kevin Donovan

The Opa and Oma books by Kevin Donovan are written in rhyme, with German words or phrases in between English ones. In the story “Opa and Me,” a little girl and her Opa walk together (gehen zu Fuss). She learns the words for snow and white and learns to enjoy the stillness of nature. Opa walks slowly, but so does she. The sweet story reminds me of times my Opa visited us from Germany, and we walked everywhere!

My favorite part of the book is when the little girl says she always wanted to learn to speak German with her Opa but had been afraid to try. Being alone with Opa and listening to him makes her more comfortable, and she feels safe learning his words.

At the end of each book is a vocabulary list. It’s not overwhelming… 15 or 16 words and phrases. These books are a nice jumping-off point to introduce grandchildren to the German language and culture. They are perfect for young children up to age 8 or 9.