Felicity Gardner (Lothian/Hachette) 2014, 25pp, RRP $14.99
For some reason, not one that he can think of, Little Max the gorilla wakes up feeling really grumpy. He doesn’t want his favourite breakfast cereal, his friends’ games are just silly to him, and flying games don’t help to make him feel better because he can’t fly, but being by himself is no fun at all either. No matter how hard he tries, Max can’t find anything to make the grumps go away. By the end of a long day being alone and grumpy, it’s the hugs and the loving kiss from his mum that makes him burst out laughing and forget all about his unhappy mood.
Felicity Gardner’s illustrations are bright and simple while retaining the earthy tones of the jungle at sunset and all the creatures that live there. The giraffe and elephant in tutus my seven-year-old co-reader giggle a bit.
Aimed at school-aged children, there is a two-fold lesson to reading this cute book to youngsters; not only do kids get to realise that there is always a way of getting out of the grumps – you just need to look for it in the right places, but also a reminder to parents and carers that we all have grumpy days, no matter how old or young that we are. As adults we can understand and vocalise our emotions, but kids can’t always do that. It’s okay for children to be grumpy, even if for no reason that you can understand, but with a little love, patience and gentle guidance you can both find a way to bring back the smiles that we all love to wear on our faces!
Catherine Blanch
Click here to purchase your copy of Felicity Gardner’s My Grumpy Day from Hachette Australia.
