Michael Wong’s picture book Grandma’s Timeless Wisdom offers sage advice while highlighting the special bond between a grandmother and her grandson.

Visiting his grandmother, a boy named Charlie gets ice cream, earning praise from her for saying “please” and ”thank you.” When his ice cream falls, Grandma offers to share hers: “Sharing is caring,” she says. They proceed with conversations about life, work, money, and much more. She advises him to try new things, help others, and deal with failure gracefully. At sunset, the visit ends and Charlie heads off, wiser for the time spent with his grandmother.

Presented in the form of a long, ongoing conversation between Charlie and Grandma, the book delivers a kind of sweet, self-help guide for kids. Nearly every page carries some valuable life lesson, usually through memorable dialogue and imagery. Some bits of advice, like “Happiness lies in the journey, not just the destination” or “No pain, no gain,” are well-worn. Still, they are presented in a way that will appeal to young readers, many of whom might not have heard them before. Others are less well-known, like “a problem shared is a problem halved.”

The art is excellent, utilizing color, and black and white. Spot color to emphasize a butterfly, for example, or a tray of freshly baked cookies is particularly effective. The variety of illustrations keeps each page fresh and interesting.

Some questions Charlie asks his grandmother, for example, “What’s the secret to a long, happy life?” as well as Grandma’s response, “Find a reason to get up in the morning” are perhaps more applicable to adults than children. And the book’s length, 120 pages, will surely challenge young children’s attention spans.

But overall, Grandma’s Timeless Wisdom is a lovely guide to life that parents and children alike will enjoy revisiting.