Grandpa Green

Bibliographic Information:

Smith, Lane.  2011. Grandpa Green.  Ill. by Lane Smith. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.  ISBN  978-1-59643-607-7.

Summary:
Narrated by a young boy, this is the story of his great-grandfather who, we learn, grew up on a farm, read a lot as child and, after school, wished to study horticulture.  He was instead sent off to fight in the war.  He met his wife-to-be, they married and had many children and grand-children.  As the grandfather gets older and more forgetful, he is sure to remember all the really “important” things by memorializing them in his topiary garden which his grandson greatly admires.

Critical Analysis:

It is clear that the young boy narrating the story loves his Grandpa Green very much.  He is very aware of his forgetfulness and unobtrusively gathers his lost things to collect and bring to him.  In spite of this possible shortcoming in his Grandpa, the narrator seems to be in awe of his life and all that he has done.  The story is never a sermon though.  It subtly demonstrates the importance of having and showing respect for our elders by gently assisting them when needed and, more importantly, by valuing their life’s experiences.

The setting – Grandpa Green’s topiary garden – is essential to the story as the entire narrative unfolds in and around it.  At story’s end, we are treated to a fold-out that shows the entire garden and we see all the images we’ve viewed throughout the book gathered together.  The fact that nearly all the illustrations in the book are green-hued ties in nicely with the setting and even with Grandpa’s name (Grandpa Green).  The sparse use of other colors and the rationed use of red (on the berries which double as chickenpox bumps and a hair bow, for instance) really stands out when it appears due to this.  The illustrations are very interesting as one thing can become another as each page turns.  A baby’s tears becomes a garden hose spray of water and a simple shrub turns into a war cannon with a flying cannonball that narrowly misses our narrator!

The narrative, plot and setting all appear, at first glance, to be simple ones but, by story’s end, many deep layers are subtly revealed.  We see the deep love between great grandson and his great grandfather, the amazing value and respect shared between them and the importance of our life’s history.  We get the feeling that when Grandpa Green is unable to carry on creating in his garden that his loving grandson will take up his mantle.  It’s a touching story that stays with the reader long after closing the book.

Awards:

From the author’s website:  http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html

A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK

A New York Times BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK
A Publishers Weekly BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK
SILVER MEDAL Society of Illustrators
An Amazon BEST BOOK
Kansas City Star TOP 100 BOOKS
A Barnes & Noble BEST BOOK
A SLJ BEST BOOK
Seven Impossible Things TOP TEN
A Time Out New York Kids BEST BOOK
JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

Book Review excerpts:

From the author’s website:
http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html

“A clever premise, brilliant pacing, and whimsical illustrations offer a distinctive look at the life and artistic vision of one great-grandfather." - School Library Journal

“An unassuming little masterpiece...” - Bruce Handy, New York Times Book Review

“Lush and magical.” - People Magazine

“The perfect book to help kids understand old age.” -Booklist

“Readers who slow down will be rewarded by this visual feast that grows richer with each visit.Though this book has lots of adult appeal, it will also be a wonderful bridge to exploring family history with the very young.” - Kirkus Reviews

“In what may well be his greatest achievement thus far, Caldecott Honor artist Lane Smith introduces Grandpa Green and the garden that tells his heart-tugging story.” - Shelf Awareness
 

Some read-alikes from NoveList for further reading:

Little Mama forgets – Robin Cruise

Reason:  Two picture books show the loving relationship between a child and a grandparent who has a vanishing mind. While both have appealing rhythms, Little Mama is vigorous and boldly-colored, and Grandpa Green, poetic with soft and varied shades of green. -- Julie Corsaro

My little grandmother often forgets – Reeve Lindbergh
Reason:  Each of these understated yet sweetly poignant picture books presents a boy's tender ode to a grandparent whose memory is slipping. -- Ellen Foreman

Dream something big – Dianna Hutts Aston

Reason:  Both of these picture books are lyrical, first-person narratives (each from a child's point of view) that tell the story of a unique adult whose creativity is a lasting remembrance. -- Beth Gerall

The animal hedge – Paul Fleischman

Reason:  Family, loss, and lives well-lived are common themes in these warm, affecting picture books that have revealing topiary! Whereas the artwork is playful and spare in Grandpa Green, it is in the full-bodied folk art tradition in The Animal Hedge. -- Julie Corsaro