Don't Drink the Pink

by B C R Fegan, Lenny Wen (Illustrator)

Overview

Madeline adores her grandfather - she always has. To everyone else he might seem a bit strange - an eccentric inventor - perhaps even a little mad. Yet Madeline knows that these are his very best qualities.

One of Grandpa Gilderberry's most secret inventions is his box of potions which he delights in giving to Madeline each year on her birthday. Each potion conveys an unexpected and magical experience for Madeline, often to the frustration of her father. At one year of age, the red potion allows Madeline to breathe fire like a dragon and at two, the blue potion turns her into a mermaid for a day. Year after year, Madeline selects a new potion with exciting results, however each time she reaches for her enchanted birthday present, her grandfather reminds her of only one rule - 'don't drink the pink'.

Exploring the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandchild, the potions in Don't Drink the Pink provide an apt metaphor for each magical moment. Yet with birthdays comes aging and this tale doesn't shy away from what this means for both the young girl and her lovable grandpa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781925810097
Publisher:	Taleblade
Publication date:	08/01/2019
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

2019-07-15
A grandfather gives magical potions to his granddaughter for her birthdays in this children's picture book.

Little Madeline likes a lot of things about her Grandfather Gilderberry, a tinkerer who's always inventing things in his workshop. But what she likes best, she says, is her grandfather's magical birthday presents. Every year, he presents her with a box of potions and instructions to "Take a potion, take a brew. / Just don't drink the pink." Over the years, she's discovered each potion's temporary magical effects; the blue one, for example, turns her into a mermaid; the green potion gives her superstrength. Before her 15th birthday, her grandfather dies, but he leaves her the pink potion with a "Happy Birthday" note. While drinking it, she wishes to see her grandfather again, and she's pulled back in time. Fegan (The World's Greatest Mousetrap, 2019, etc.) subtly teaches counting and colors in this warmhearted, amusing picture book. The quatrains, which have an abcb rhyme, scan well and include comforting repetition. Kids will enjoy seeing the fun magical effects of Grandfather's potions, which illustrator Wen (Secrets of the Great Fire Tree, 2019, etc.) vibrantly brings to life. The early-20th-century details and clothing styles are intriguing. Madeline's family is portrayed as white while crowds include diverse skin tones.

Imaginative, poignant, and humorous—altogether charming.

Kirkus Reviews