The Granny-Man [Hardcover]

Judy Schachner (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Simon is a very old cat who's just about ready to give up after a long and fulfilling life. But his family has a creative solution to get rid of Simon's doldrums: a new kitten! The unexpected companion lifts Simon's spirits and gives him lots to do and lots to look forward to. Simon's caring ways with the kitten earn him a nickname--and a place in the hearts of readers of all ages.

Judith Byron Schachner's inimitable charcoal-and-watercolor pictures capture to expressive perfection the quirks that make cats such delightful, lovable pets and very special family members. A priceless cat's-eye perspective on aging and intergenerational friendship, The Grannyman proves that there is just no limit to the power of love given and received. This is the book for anyone who has ever lived with and loved a cat.

Ms. Schachner has written and illustrated two other books for children, Mr. Emerson's Cook and Willy and May, and she illustrated I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, by Alison Jackson.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Siamese cat Simon may be getting on in years ("With the exception of his nose, most of his parts had stopped working long ago"), but this beloved family pet is enjoying a comfortable retirement. He spends his days dreaming of his long and happy life ("full of mice, full of hisses, full of hugs, and full of kisses"), and his adoring family carts him around in a baby stroller and buys a bib to catch the toothless puss's dribbles. But the geriatric cat's sedate golden years dramatically transform when a kitten arrives. Simon's tender care of his perky charge earns him a new name: the Grannyman. Schachner's (I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie) affectionate prose inspires a series of softly shaded pastel portraits of the title character. With his lopsided ears, huge blue eyes and quizzical expression, the creaky Simon is a fetching fellow. The visual riffs on the text will strike a chord of recognition with cat lovers everywhere; for instance, a quartet of images exhibits Simon enjoying the "heat treatments" his family provides (basking under a lampshade and on a windowsill, sprawled on a radiator and a stovetop). This story of old age revered and rejuvenated is a pleasure from the ends of its whiskers to the tip of its tail. Ages 3-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Blind, deaf, and extremely arthritic, Simon, an elderly Siamese cat, is ready to call it quits after a long and happy life of furniture scratching, plant pruning, and mouse catching. Despite his family's deep love (they even submitted to "stinky old cat breath" in their faces when Simon chose to share their beds), his independent spirit becomes depressed as he needs more and more help in his daily life. Suspecting his decision to give up on life, his family plops a new kitten on his chest, and Simon puts his own worries on the back burner. Rejuvenated, he shows the kitten the facts of life at the milk saucer and the litter box. As his nurturing skills emerge, his loving family nicknames him "the Grannyman." Schachner's warm, emotional text is echoed in her softly colored illustrations, clearly depicting the contrast between joyous young Simon (seen in flashbacks) and his diminished elderly self. Owners of aged pets will surely "Aw!" at Simon's plight and resurrection. An endearingly sentimental tale.
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525461221
• ISBN-13: 978-0525461227
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judith Byron Schachner has been illustrating and writing children's books since 1992 and has given numerous presentations in schools and libraries. Her workshops are designed to be warm and personal with a special regard for the less than stellar student.
"Kids love to review my rotten report cards and laugh out loud at a slide show involving 4 cats and a funeral. Teachers love the 'Seed Box' filled to the brim with a magical collection of 'Junk' to inspire the writer in all of us. Everyone loves to watch 'Don Juan Skippito Bumblito the Great Sword Fighter' come to life with pencil and paper. By the end of the day we all believe that the stories in our own lives are worth writing about."
Judith Byron Schachner grew up outside of Boston in the 1950's. Her early years were not easy: "Growing up we didn't have much money. My mother was very ill, and to make matters worse, I was extremely shy. All my teachers complained that 'Judith needs to speak up in class, Judith needs to improve in arithmetic, and Judith needs to finish her work on time.' But no one complained about my artwork. On paper I drew myself a world where mothers were healthy and teachers were kind. My life was perfection in pencil."
Judith graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1973 with a BFA in illustration and went straight into the "greeting card factories, which included a stint at Hallmark. For five years I designed cute cards, sad cards, funny cards, and wedding cards. I was not having fun; in fact I never wanted to pick up a paintbrush again."
Married life changed many things for Judith. One clear advantage for her was that "for the first time in many years I could step off the 9 to 5 treadmill and devote all my energy to creating a portfolio of children's book art. That was until two little baby girls were born. Then motherhood became my favorite new job. Over the years I read hundreds of books to my daughters. Inspired by the art and words I was moved once again to finish my portfolio and take it on the road to New York. Around the same time I met Donna Jo Napoli who convinced Dutton Children's Books to let me illustrate her novel, The Prince of the Pond," published in 1992.
In 1995 Judith wrote and illustrated her first picture book, Willy and May, and has turned out a number of projects since then. "The wonderful thing about my job is that one day I can be writing about history, as I did in Mr. Emerson's Cook. The next day I'm drawing a wacky old woman for I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. Or I can bring to life a beloved pet cat in my book The Grannyman. I live in a constant state of 3rd grade bliss - making up stories and drawing pictures. Isn't that what we all did as children?"
Several years ago the great author Lloyd Alexander stood in Judith's back yard admiring her daughters' Viking ship (as Judith puts it, that's another story). Working with Lloyd Alexander has been a dream come true for Judith: "Never in my wildest fantasies did I ever think that my art would inhabit his world of words."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK ON SEVEAL LEVELS - AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT, April 19, 2008

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Grannyman (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

The Grannyman, by Judith Byron Schachner is one of the better children's cat books out there. I was absolutely delighted and I must admit a bit surprised when I read this one. Schachner is the author of the Skippyjon Jones books, which are on my favorites list and I am not sure how she was able to transition from cat stories about a little kitten who is a complete mess, to one about a lovely old cat like Grannyman. First, I must admit to being able to relate to both the characters of Skippyjon and to Grannyman. When I was a kid, I could well have been a prototype for Skippyjon and now that I am old, I fit the profile of Grannyman pretty well.

Anyway, this is the story of a very old Siamese cat by the name of Simon. He is blind, deaf and his bones ache and creak. Simon has lived a long life with a very loving family and now spends most of his time in his calico chair looking out into space and dreaming of his life since he was a kitten. The book reviews this old cat's life from the time he was a kitten to the resent. Delightful pictures and wonderful text tell his story. Then, feeling absolutely useless in his dotage, one Tuesday night, Simon sticks his bony old legs in the air and breaths his last....or so he thinks!

Suddenly, plunk, his loving human family drop a new kitten right on Simon's belly. Simon suddenly has a new life. This new little member of the family becomes Simon's charge and Simon his teacher. This is absolutely wonderful.

While this is the story of an old cat, living in a loving home, it is actually the story of all of us, or how all of us should be anyway, as we grow older. What an excellent way to teach children of the aging process in a very gentle and happy way. It is also an excellent way to teach those of us well in to our dotage that life is not over until it is over.

Splendid and lively art work is found in this work and while not as wild as that found in Skippyjon books, it is quite appropriate for this particular story. The text is very well done. I, like another reviewer was hesitant at first about reading this one as I felt it was going to have a sad ending and I avoid books like that at all cost. I was very well pleased and I need not have feared. This work is a must for cat lovers of all ages in particular, animal lovers in general, and all good hearted people. Most importantly though, the kids all seem to love it. I should also not that this author wrote I know n Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie which is a wonderful work also.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All cat lovers must get this book!, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Granny-Man (Hardcover)

This is a charming, loving story about an aging cat and the family who loves him. The text is enhanced by beautiful,flowing watercolor illustrations that are full of humor and capture a cat's spirit. It will warm your heart!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for cat lovers and sentimentalists alike, April 28, 2000

By 

Nancy Parry McCluer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Granny-Man (Hardcover)

Anyone who has ever loved an aging cat will get a little misty-eyed over this story of Simon, a blind, deaf and toothless old Siamese. His family takes good care of Simon, feeding him baby food, providing places for him to warm his achy old bones and letting him sleep in bed with them, despite his stinky cat breath.

But despite this loving treatment, Simon is tired of living. After spending a night shuffling through old memories of his kittenhood, he sticks his legs in the air and breaths his last.

Or so he thinks. At that moment, his family plops a kitten on his stomach and the old trouper discovers a new purpose in life--to become the kitten's "Grannyman."

Schachner's story is poignant and her illustrations, done in textured charcoal with watercolors, are expressive and show the artist's deep love for cats. Her Simon is at once both pitiable and noble. The Grannyman is highly recommended for cat lovers and sentimentalists alike.