Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy

August 1, 2017
Grumpy is coming for a stay, and nothing gets better than that for two little siblings.Grumpy is gramps, and there isn't a grumpy bone in this old man's body. Indeed, Grumpy is the master of dry drollery. Grumpy has come to visit Charlie and Mouse, biracial children with a white mom and an Asian dad. Their paternal grandfather, Grumpy, is a champ because he engages the kids on their turf. "You are getting big!" notes Grumpy, in this four-interlude early reader, conveyed in words that don't fill the mouth too full and are caught in a nice syncopation. Charlie is "getting so big," but Mouse shakes his head. "I am not getting big." Grumpy tells him, "You are bigger than you were. You are not getting small." After some prompting and thinking, Mouse declares, "I am getting medium." Medium needs a little help but not a lot of help, like for swimming or reading. As for hot dogs, big likes mustard, medium not so much. (Grumpy concedes he's medium when it comes to hot dogs.) So it goes for pouncing on sleepers and building a fort and eating pizza and lullabies. (Like mustard, singing isn't a Grumpy thing; Charlie takes the chore.) The only slip is in the last chapter, which gets a tad mistily metaphorical and sugarcoated for the rest of the sparkling work. Affection that is as comfortable as Grumpy's old cardigan. (Early reader. 6-9)

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October 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-Those adorable moptop siblings Charlie and Mouse are back, this time spending quality time with their visiting grandfather, Grumpy. In four charming chapters, the brothers compare notes on getting "bigger" and the merits of being "medium"; inform Grumpy of the finer points of the proper pounce; enjoy Grumpy Night while their parents go on a date, and instruct the reluctant crooner in singing the right goodnight song; and, at their visit's end, give the man a sweet and tender send-off. Snyder's writing is spare and unadorned but steeped in the sensibilities, wit, and logic of childhood. The dialogue is spot-on and delightful. These boys are best buds, and Grumpy engages with them where they are, while still being a responsible adult. Hughes perfectly captures the action and interaction in earth-toned images that help set the warm, homey tone and reinforce the gentle humor. VERDICT Beginning chapter book readers and read-aloud listeners will love spending time with Charlie and Mouse and Grumpy.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

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