Grumpy Grandpa [Hardcover]

Heather Henson (Author), Ross MacDonald (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up

Jack has a grumpy grandpa, and he calls him that, even though he’s not supposed to. But it’s true. Grandpa is grumpy—and a little scary, too. He has hair where other people do not have hair, and his teeth don’t stay in his mouth. You’d have to be crazy to live with Grandpa . . . or as brave as a lion tamer, like Jack’s aunt and uncle. But the truth is, Grandpa didn’t always have hair and teeth in weird places. In fact, Grandpa wasn’t even always grumpy. A book that closes the generation gap one little bit, Grumpy Grandpa captures childhood and grandpa-hood with humor, hyperbole, and heart

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The boy who narrates Henson's (The Book Woman) story shudders at his grandfather's gruff temper and false teeth, and draws rude caricatures of a cross-eyed, flushed bald man. "Mom gets mad, but it's true," he insists. "Grumpy Grandpa is always grumpy. And he's scary, too." The boy and his parents visit Grandpa's farm, which is "really quiet" except for Grumpy Grandpa's snoring or yelling. And, each day, Grumpy Grandpa and his dog "disappear" in an old-fashioned pickup truck: "You'd think the dog would need a break, but he sticks to Grumpy Grandpa like glue." Although the narrative is told from the boy's perspective, the illustrations reveal more to the story. After the grandfather overhears his grandson's complaints, he takes the boy along to his getaway, his childhood fishing hole. MacDonald (Bye-bye, Crib) pictures a quaint and ruddy middle-American group, the women in skirts and the men in overalls (they even serve heaping plates of flapjacks). If the setting is anachronistic, the theme is perennial and wishful: misanthropes can forget "what it was like to be little" and moody relatives might be worth getting to know. Ages 4-8.
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From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Some stories about kids and grandparents are all sweetness and light. Not this one. This boy's grandpa yells at the newspaper. He yells at the TV. He even yells at his own dog. Visiting him for two weeks is a trial, at least until the two go fishing and an unanticipated dip in the pond shows that laughter can sometimes cure even the grouchiest relative. Remembering what young boys are like helps, too. MacDonald's wonderful watercolors have his typical '50s look, and include comic scenes such as false teeth left to bite anyone who might sit on a hassock and the boy innocently driving his toy trucks off the back of the couch right onto sleeping Grandpa's head. The pictures are a great match for the text, where the modern elements sit comfortably alongside the old-fashioned ones. Children will enjoy the idea of old folks learning from young ones.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416908110
• ISBN-13: 978-1416908111
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,781,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Heather Henson was born and raised in central Kentucky in a summerstock theater her father founded sixty years ago, and her family still owns and operates. After moving to New York City to study theater and filmmaking, Heather decided to focus on her first love: writing. She graduated from the New School with a degree in creative writing and literature, and went on to work as an editor of children's books at a major publisher. After many years in New York, she returned to her home state of Kentucky to focus on her writing, which has always been deeply influenced by her roots. Her award-winning picture books and novels celebrate little known pieces of Kentucky history (the Frontier Nursing Service and the Pack Horse Library Project), illuminate the behind the scenes world of theater, and explore the angst of growing up in a small town. Heather's picture book, That Book Woman, recently won the Christopher Award as well as the Great Lakes Book Award. Heather lives on a farm in central Kentucky with her husband and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DelightfulI, October 5, 2009

By 

Mary Ellen Weingarten "meptww" (Daytona Beach, FK) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grumpy Grandpa (Hardcover)

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. I laughtd so hard and then I teared up. It is a delightful, heartwarming story.