It's Not My Turn To Look For Grandma! [Hardcover]

April Halprin Wayland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 1995 | Age Level: 5 and up

Illustrated in full color. From early morning till sundown, folks on the farm take turns fetching Grandma, because someone's got to keep her out of trouble! Grandma's always in a heap of mischief--she's either telling jokes to her dog, sliding down the haystack with her porcupines, or playing nine-card stump with a possum. But when she's asked to play the banjo, Grandma is quick to say yes, because ending each day with a song is something she'll always make time for.  

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From its hillbilly characters to its goony title-page rendering of the Knopf borzoi to its droll locutions ("Where in the hickory stick is Grandma?"), this volume establishes a rollicking hootenanny feel. Grandma, a salty old woman in the Beverly Hillbillies mold, is "too busy" entertaining her pets and herself to help Ma fix the house and garden. One by one, Ma sends her four kids to find her errant kinswoman and, one by one, Grandma sends them back-armed with the ability to tell tall tales, paint or dance to amuse Ma and their siblings. Finally, Ma tunes up her fiddle and tempts Grandma and her banjo out of hiding for a rendition of "The Chickadilla Song" (a down-on-the-farm ditty based on an 1871 tune). The family-along with fleabitten dogs, hyperactive ducks and chickens, and two prickly porcupines-carouses in the yard as the sun sets, all anti-Grandma sentiment forgotten. Booth (Possum Come a-Knockin') applies cutout ink-and-watercolor cartoons to a watercolor background; fans of the New Yorker artist will instantly recognize a certain pointy-eared, barrel-chested dog. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Woolie keeps protesting that it's not his turn, so his siblings Mack, Monroe, and Oleanna search for Grandma throughout the day. There's important work to be done around the house, but the cantankerous elderly woman is too busy telling jokes, spiffing up old clothes with bright paint, or playing a wild-card game with the critters thereabouts to help. Chores are finished and Ma sees the setting sun. She sends Woolie, whose turn has finally come, to fetch his rowdy granny. It's time for a family hoedown, and music stirs Grandma's soul. She's there in a flash to play the banjo and sing her favorite tune, the "Chickadilla Song." The story's lively mountain twang is well paired with wild cartoon illustrations that highlight its sassy tone. Finish a read-aloud with a sing-along (music and new lyrics provided). It will be a silly good time for all.?Virginia E. Jeschelnig, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679944915
• ISBN-13: 978-0679944911
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,814,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Newsflash! NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh Hashanah Story just won the Sydney Taylor Award for Best Jewish Picture Book of the Year!

I am so lucky! I'm a farmer turned folk musician turned author of an award-winning novel in poems for teens (GIRL COMING IN FOR A LANDING) and picture books (TO RABBITTOWN, THE NIGHT HORSE, IT'S NOT MY TURN TO LOOK FOR GRANDMA!, NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh Hashanah Story.)

My works have won the Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award, Penn State's Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award for Children's Poetry, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Magazine Merit Award for Poetry...and now--yikes!--the Sydney Taylor Award for Best Jewish Picture Book of the Year.

The CD of my stories and poetry won the National Parenting Publications Gold Award for Storytelling (yes, that's me playing the fiddle on it!), which is available through CD Baby.

I've taught writing and poetry throughout the US and in Germany, England, Italy, France, and Poland. Yes, Poland!

With my best friend author Bruce Balan, I co-founded the political organization, Authors and Illustrators for Children, and am a founding member of the Children's Authors Network. And I can't believe I've been an instructor with UCLA Extension's Writers' Program for over a decade. Wow. I must be old.

My family includes my very smart husband, our golden-boy son, the oldest dog in the world, two cats (Elsie and Snot), five turtles (including one called Roadkill), a tortoise named Sheldon and a gazillion frogs.

My newest picture book is NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh Hashanah Story. It's about the tradition of Tashlich--that of tossing bread into water to clear the slate for the New Year.

I'm sorry. I don't always sound this braggy. It may be the caffeine. I live with my family near the beach in Southern California where I toss bread off the pier each New Year. I hope you can visit my website soon. It's just been redesigned and the operative word is whimsy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For grandmas to read to their grandchildren and each other, August 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Not My Turn to Look for Grandma (Hardcover)

Best read with a soft southern accent, this book has the kind of off-the-wall humor that can be enjoyed by both grandmas and grandchildren. I was introduced to it by a Missouri woman who fetched it from her summer cabin to read to a group of grandmas over cocktails. For all of those who want their grandchildren to grow up as they did with an appreciation of New Yorker cartoon style humor.