Grandpa Grumps

by Katrina Moore, Xindi Yan (Illustrator)

Overview

Daisy's Yeh-Yeh is visiting from China, and try as she might, Daisy can't get her grumpy grandpa to smile!

Daisy's Yeh-Yeh is visiting for the first time from China, and Daisy is so excited to meet him! She has big plans for all the fun they'll have together, like tea parties and snow angels, but when Yeh-Yeh arrives, Daisy finds him less jolly than she imagined. Throughout the week, she tries all sorts of things to get him past his grumpiness. Will she be able to make him smile before he goes home?

Kids will love this funny and heartwarming story about overcoming cultural differences and connecting across generations!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781499808865
Publisher:	little bee books
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Series:	Grumps
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	187,506
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Katrina Moore writes and teaches in a part of New Jersey just outside Philadelphia. Earning an MA in elementary education, she's also taught in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages, like her debut picture book, One Hug. When not teaching elementary schoolkids or writing, she's cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her two kids, husband, Pomapoo pup, and of course, a cozy book. Visit her at katrinamoorebooks.com.

Xindi Yan left behind a small city in China, traveling thousands of miles to New York to realize her dream of being a published artist. She received her BFA in illustration from Pratt Institute and has since worked as an illustrator for the gaming industry and for children's books, some of which include Sylvia Rose and the Cherry Tree by Sandy Shapiro Hurt, The Itty-Bitty Witch by Trisha Speed Shaskan, and the Craftily Ever After series by Martha Maker. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and dreams about having a puppy in the near future. See more of her work at xindiyanart.com.

Editorial Reviews

Pig-tailed Daisy and bushy-browed Yeh-Yeh's memorable expressions illuminate every page, and Daisy's sassy kitty and enchanting wardrobe (unicorn horn headband, fluffy boas and sparkling tiaras she shares with Yeh-Yeh) make for picture perfect scenarios. . . . With Yan's Pixar-ready illustrations and Moore's sweet text about familial communication, Grandpa Grumps invites smiles all around.

Shelf Awareness

Moore has written a story that many immigrant parents, grandchildren and their visiting grandpas from native countries can identify with. . . . Yan's illustrations capture the mood of every occasion, from the grouchy gray of Grandpa's beard and attire to the confetti warmth of fried rice. . . . Moore invites the reader to learn vocabulary and follow along in Cantonese. It's whimsical and Chinglish, meant to be fun. Fans of Minh Lê and Dan Santat's book Drawn Together will enjoy this story of Daisy's incessant efforts to connect with a Grandpa who seems so distant. . . . This book will tug at your heartstrings.

International Examiner

This precious story celebrates how love can transcend both generations and cultures. The language barrier with a foreign relative is expertly and affectionately portrayed, and both the story and its illustrations are fluidly multicultural. . . . Yan's delightful artwork has all the humor and detail and sunlight of a Pixar film. Many children will certainly relate to this sweet child with a big heart who just wants to make her elder happy-and does.

Booklist

2020-02-18
Love can be expressed in many different ways.

Young, bubbly Daisy eagerly awaits the arrival of her paternal grandfather from China. She’s already made a list of activities to make sure “This will be the best week ever!” When Yeh-Yeh finally arrives, Daisy notices that “Grandpa isn’t jolly”—even after she gives him a hug. “Would you like some tea?” Daisy offers. Although she arranges a full tea party complete with stuffed animals, Yeh-Yeh reacts only with a stern “Harrumph.” Undeterred, Daisy brings him one of her books to read. Yeh-Yeh attempts to communicate with Daisy, suggesting in Mandarin that she read his Chinese newspaper; misunderstanding, she takes it as a request for an art session. Yan’s cartoons have the look of modern animation; rendered in bright blended colors, they are sure to elicit giggles with their portrayals of Daisy’s failed attempts to engage her grandfather. A discouraged Daisy asks, “Mama, why is Yeh-Yeh such a grump?” Mama answers, “He shows love in other ways.” Shifting paradigms, Daisy and Yeh-Yeh finally make headway through a shared love of food (recipe appended). Daisy and her family are Chinese, and a handful of romanized Chinese appears within the well-structured text, with many Chinese characters in the illustrations. Both characters and romanized Chinese appear with their English translations on the endpapers in a decorative picture dictionary.

Comical and heartwarming, this title should spark discussions of relationships and understanding (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews