Old Granny and the Bean Thief [Hardcover]

Cynthia DeFelice (Author), Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Take your friends where you can find them!

Old Granny is lonely, living way out in the country with no one to talk to. She’s happy enough, though, as long as she has her beans. One night a thief climbs through the window of
her little cabin while she’s sleeping and steals her beans! Old Granny sets out to see the sheriff. Along the way, she meets an odd assortment of talking creatures: a snake, a pecan, a cow patty, a prickly pear cactus, and an alligator. Soon they’ve all befriended Old Granny, and joined forces to help her foil the thief in this humorous tale that glows with the bright, bold colors of the Southwest.

 

Old Granny and the Bean Thief is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A bold thief has been sneaking into Old Granny's house to steal from her pot of beans. After three straight nights of pilfering, she decides to enlist the sheriff's aid. On her way into town, she crosses the path of a talking alligator, snake, cactus, pecan, and cow patty, all of which offer to help her stop the thief. Since the sheriff has gone fishing, Old Granny accepts their offer. She totes the absurd assortment of helpers back home, arranges them around the house as they ask, and bids them all good night. When the sneaky bean thief returns after dark, the fortuitously placed characters scare, smack, slip, prick, and bite him in turn, driving him away forever. DeFelice puts a Southwestern twist on an old folk motif in this tale that's reminiscent of "Jack and the Animals" or "The Nung-Gwama." The down-home narrative is folksy and fun to read aloud, particularly Granny's refrain, "In a pig's eye! My, oh, my!" Smith uses a Southwestern palette in her cartoon-style paintings, setting Granny and friends against dusty pink mesas and a slate blue sky. Each of the helpers-down to the tiny pecan-is endowed with bright eyes and a broad smile. The story is sure to be an easy sell with primary graders (what child can resist a grinning, talking cow patty?) and a welcome addition to storytimes.
Eve Ortega, Cypress Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Old Granny lives alone, way outside of town, but she's got her beans always cooking, and she's pretty content. So, when a thief starts stealing her beans, she's mighty angry. She hightails it to the sheriff, and on the way meets an odd assortment of talkers: a snake, a pecan, a prickly pear cactus, an alligator, even a cow patty. They exhort her to take them home, but she strongly demurs, "In a pig's eye!" When she gets to town, however, and finds the sheriff gone, she picks up the group on the way home. Strategically placing themselves around the house--the alligator in the pond, the snake in the soaking beans, the cow patty on the front step, etc.--they capture the bean thief, a very surprised raccoon. Using a cheerful Southwestern palette, Bowman Smith cleverly captures the sassy tone of DeFelice's folksy telling. Children will be amused by Granny and her remarkable posse. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (August 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374356149
• ISBN-13: 978-0374356149
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A riot!, April 6, 2005

By 

Coastal Cat (Bay area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Granny and the Bean Thief (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading this story to my kids as much as they enjoyed hearing it! I loved the fun, folksy storyline, while my kids loved how the "characters" caught the thief. My boys are 5 and 7 but I think the story would appeal equally to girls and kids a little younger or older. And if you don't believe me, just ask the cow patty. ;-)

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough Old Granny lives way out west, September 16, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Granny and the Bean Thief (Hardcover)

These illustrations are a hoot -- as an Arizona family, we love the backgrounds! This is a funny story, that gets a lot funnier when the cow patty starts talking. I'm raising boys, and wow! Is that funny, or what?

The book uses rhythm and repretition to engage even kids who are "too big" for storybooks in all the fun. I love when my family laughs together.