Synopsis
Grandpa's fanciful tall tales of ticklish worms, cows, and toes help three rambunctious children get ready for bed
Reviews
PreSchool-Grade 2AWhen their grandfather delivers the dictum, "Time for bed," three reluctant grandchildren come up with all of the usual stalling tactics. Grandpop, however, cleverly diverts them with a trio of tall tales about his boyhood on a farm during the "hottest" summer ever. He describes bringing in a huge catch of fish (he tickled their tummies); indulging in ice cream straight from the cow (he tickled their ears and fed them ice); and engaging in a raucous pillow fight (he tickled his cousin's toes) during which he was shot from his hammock, landed in a nearby tree, and finally drifted off to sleep. The last tale makes the perfect conduit to sending the children off to dreamland, as visualized nicely in the final scene. Whyte's watercolor paintings deftly complement Van Leeuwen's bedtime romp. Using the entire double-page spread, the artist infuses energy into the pictures (the dancing cows are especially good) and there is an ease and mobility in her character portrayals that ring true. Images are well placed, helping to orient readers between today and yesterdayAa necessary ingredient in flashback sequences for the very young. Children who love James Stevenson's "Grandpa" stories (Greenwillow) are sure to find this book equally appealing.ABarbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Van Leeuwen's bedtime book will probably keep kids wide awake, particularly if readers follow the example set by Grandpop. It is time for three kids to hit the hay, and Grandpop has pulled baby-sitting duty. The kids want a bedtime story and he obliges: His first story takes place on a hot summer day in his childhood, and it involves merry pranks. For the punchline, Grandpop tickles his charges, and so they plead for another story. Again they visit that hot summer of long ago, this time in the company of dancing cows that when milked deliver pails of ice cream, but only if tickled behind the ear. Grandpop proceeds to tickle the kids' ears; thus they clamor for more stories, and it's back to that hot summer day, which is winding down into a steamy night, when sleep was difficult to find. The kids are soon snoozing, exhausted by their grandfather's antics. Whyte catches the specifics and the sensibility in her sharp watercolors that exaggerate the details but keep the emotions true. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Ages 4^-7. When their grandfather announces bedtime, Maggie, Morgan, and Baby Max demand their evening ritual: hugs, five different kinds of kisses, a song, toe tickles, and a story. At their persistence, he tells them not one but three quick semitall tales about his boyhood farm days. During a hot summer, the fish don't bite until tickled; cows give ice cream when tickled; and a tickle-initiated pillow fight sends "Grandpop" as a boy flying into "comfy" tree branches. Grandpop has his own affectionate nicknames for the three, and the story exudes equal amounts of warmth and silliness. Whyte's watercolor-wash illustrations are not only sweet but also active and expressive, accentuating the humor and affection. The three embedded stories make this a longer-than-average picture book--perfect for bedtime stalling. Linda Perkins
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