Product Description

Spending time with Grandpa is the best! His granddaughter especially loves to hear his stories. Grandpa has magical explanations for ordinary thingsa frosty windowpane, dewdrops sparkling on the grass, even his own bald headand Grandpa never lies. Whimsical humor and deep feeling are skillfully layered together in this touching, lyrical account of a grandpa and a granddaughter who love and trust each other.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #470095 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-18
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .37" h x 8.36" w x 10.33" l, .70 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-A young girl tells the story of a special relationship over four seasons. Summer brings the promise of a whole month at her grandparents' country cottage, where days are spent playing cards, enjoying the outdoors, and simply talking. Grandpa delights in telling whimsically creative tales to answer his granddaughter's everyday questions. He blames "a roaring tornado" for his baldness, and explains that winter's frost is the work of "elves who come at dusk with magical brushes-." Each of Grandpa's imaginative explanations is followed by the girl's fervent refrain: "And Grandpa never lies, so I know it's true." Reality intrudes, and without warning. The narrator simply states, "Then Grandma died. Suddenly." While the child and her grandfather cope with their loss with a faith in life's ultimate goodness that is poignantly portrayed, some readers might not make the transition quite so easily. Nevertheless, the lyrical language and engaging use of imagery are worth noting. Richly hued acrylic illustrations complement the mood of the text, moving smoothly from bright and fanciful to dark and somber. Suitable for read-alouds, but perhaps even better for sharing individually.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4-7. A young girl's first-person narration describes her special relationship with her grandparents, especially Grandpa. In summer the girl spends a month at her grandparents' house in the woods, where they hunt fossils and track deer, "but mostly just talk." In the fall, there's hot chocolate while Grandpa reads fairy tales. Walks and icicle sword fights begin winter, during which Grandma dies. The little girl and Grandpa mourn together. Grandpa visits the girl in the spring. They've both had time to heal: they eat cereal on the porch and plan for summer. Despite the death, this is an upbeat, joyous story of an intergenerational relationship that will strike a chord with many children. Stevenson's acrylic pictures are done in an appealing painterly style, with obvious brushstrokes and interesting use of color and line. This heartwarming story is a good choice for celebrating Grandparents Day; it can also be used in a unit on seasons. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Richly hued acrylic illustrations complement the mood of the text...Suitable for read-alouds, but perhaps even better for sharing individually." (School Library Journal )

"This heartwarming story is a good choice for celebrating Grandparents DAy; it can also be used in a unit on seasons." (Booklist, ALA )