Grump [Hardcover]

Janet S. Wong (Author), John Wallace (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

"Look how tired this Mommy is
Tired and frumpy
Grouchy chumpy
Oh, what a grump!"

Then, for contrast,

"Look at Baby
Smart, good Baby
Happy Baby."

Baby loves to make gravy out of applesauce and ketchup and, when it's just right -- not too lumpy, not too bumpy -- suddenly, DUMP! It goes on Baby's head. Will Baby take a nap now? Mommy puts Baby gently into the crib. But when Mommy starts to tiptoe out, Baby cries and whimpers, cries and whimpers. So Mommy reads to Baby -- and reads and reads until...guess what!

The surprise ending of this beguiling picture book will delight the very young -- and their tired but loving mothers. Janet Wong, a well-known poet, reflects on not only her own but every mother's experience in her rollicking rhyme. The bright watercolors of John Wallace, an English artist whose work is published both in the United Kingdom and the United States, complement the text to perfection.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Baby's energy knows no bounds--and poor Mommy is "Tired and frumpy / Grouchy chumpy / Oh, what a grump!" After a day of cleaning up Baby's concoction of squishy applesauce-ketchup gravy and reading story after story to her sleepless child, who can blame Mommy for "slumping, crumpled, sleeping / Fast asleep in her big chair"? Certainly not Baby, "Smart, good Baby," who finally climbs into his sleeping mother's lap for that long-delayed nap.

The rhythm and sounds of Janet S. Wong's text are what will appeal to small children; the subject matter is for all the exhausted parents of the world. Wong's tender rhymes reflect the conflicting emotions of the worn-out mom, as she sets her baby in his crib and "Drums on Baby's rump pum pum pum! / Rubs his back / Plump arms / Plump legs" and tiptoes out--only to hear the cries of her awake-again loved one. John Wallace shows his own expertise in the field of weary parenting, in his thoroughly delightful watercolors depicting a frazzled mother and her son. (Baby to preschool... and sleepy, grumpy parents) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Mommy has reached the end of her rope. She's "tired and frumpy/ Grouchy chumpy/ Oh, what a grump!" But Baby, of course, is just getting started, happily "making gravy/ Applesauce and ketchup gravy" and dumping it on his head and the floor. Exhausted Mommy declares naptime--but Baby won't cooperate, at least not until Mommy herself drops off to sleep while reading Baby a book. This slice-of-life book should strike a chord with frazzled mothers of toddlers, especially the implacable expression of Wallace's (Tiny Rabbit) Baby and Wong's (Night Garden) repetition of the line "Baby's going to take a nap now" three times in a row, as if saying it would only make it so. Toddlers may be too wrapped up in themselves to be charmed by the parental sense of irony that informs the book, but Wallace's delicate watercolor vignettes with their sunny translucency keep the mood upbeat. Ages 2-5.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry; 1st edition (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689834853
• ISBN-13: 978-0689834851
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,312,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet S. Wong (www.janetwong.com) is an award-winning author of 23 books for young readers and teens. One of the most distinctive things about her body of work is its variety: from picture books about family (THE TRIP BACK HOME, BUZZ) to poetry books about yoga and driving (TWIST and BEHIND THE WHEEL) to chapter books about friendship (ME AND ROLLY MALOO, MINN AND JAKE) to a "Meet the Author" book about writing (BEFORE IT WRIGGLES AWAY). Her fans span the entire age range, from toddler to adult.

Janet Wong's latest projects are eBooks designed specifically for the Kindle. Janet is particularly excited about eBooks because of their affordability and also because they make poetry easy to find. "Poetry is buried in the 811 section of the library," Janet says, "where you're not likely to stumble on it. But you can type 'poetry' into your Kindle and dozens of titles (with free samples, even) will magically appear." Her first eBook is ONCE UPON A TIGER: New Beginnings for Endangered Animals, which features illustrated poems and nonfiction notes about familiar animals such as the tiger and also unusual creatures such as the axolotl. Her second eBook is a group effort, a forthcoming anthology called POETRY TAG TIME (to be available in April 2011) which she compiled with children's literature professor Sylvia Vardell. It features a connected chain of 30 poems by 30 of the best poets in the world.

When Janet Wong is not writing, speaking at teacher conferences, or sharing writing tips with children in schools, she spends most of her time trying to grow blueberries at her home in Princeton, NJ.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to make you smile when you're too tired to smile..., July 13, 2001

By 

Natalie Palmer "nat74" (Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grump (Hardcover)

I stumbled onto this book, and fell in love. My toddler loves the story - the rhythm and rhyme of the words is fun to read and listen to. The pictures are lovely, with plenty of details to point out and ask about with young toddlers and readers. (What's Mommy doing? Where is the bowl? What is Baby doing? Have you ever felt grumpy?) It is a delightful book in two important ways: 1) The Mommy is tired and busy but still has time for Baby (and never yells and cheers up in the end!), and 2) Baby is still a Good Baby even through Mommy is tried and grumpy. Like many tired moms, I find myself worn out at the end of a long day - and this book is a favorite of mine on those days. A 'written appology and explanation' to my 19 month old that, even through I'm "grumpy", I still love and am there for my "Little Lump"

A wonderful gift for an overworked parent!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!, March 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Grump (Hardcover)

This book is for all the mothers out there that want to explain to their young children that they will always love them, no matter how they feel! Janet Wong is a great story writer and speaker! If you ever get a chance to go to one of her seminars...GO! She is funny, clever, and intelligent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mommy grump loves her little lumps!, September 23, 2008

By 

Anonymous (NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grump (Hardcover)

Both my kids and I love this book. They laugh and laugh, and now I am officially the 'grump'! :)