The title and cover of this book made me think of a goofy Back to the Future kind of story with a bit of psychedelic Scooby Doo thrown in. Well, I got that wrong!
This is such a warm and beautiful picture book, with a boy who doesn’t want to go to school and his grandfather, who takes him back in time to visit moments when the grandfather was scared, too. But brave anyway. From working construction on top of a skyscraper to being left to raise a grandchild (the boy of the book) to Grandpa’s school papers being ripped up by a man telling his the cotton field is his school. We visit moments both beautiful and heart-breaking and here what scared Grandpa. “You was so little and I was so old,” he says, about being scared to raise his grandson.
There’s just a lovely rhythm to the writing, and a serenity to the art that helps give a feeling of safety even when things are scary. And the author’s and illustrator’s notes at the back are wonderful. I’m so glad this book is a Finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards, because that’s what prompted me to finally check it out and read it! Just found this link to a readaloud by the author here.
Thank you to the library for the review copy of this book!
Thank you so much for including the link to this heartwarming book, Laura! I loved hearing Daniel read it aloud. And the illustrations were just right. The experience brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for sharing that Laura. I don’t know if I would have found this book otherwise, and it is beyond beautiful!
This sounds very nice, Laura. My own children called my father “Big Papa” so it’s fun to read about this story. Thanks, a new one to me!
What a cool connection!
This is a new-to-me book. I love that it’s about a child learning from an older person’s experiences. Sounds great.
I love this cover
Laura, you wrote an excellent review. Thank you for your post. It was a joy to listen and watch Daniel read his heart warming book! Good illustrations, too!
Wow—this book sounds really amazing! Both the characters and the different moments sound really complex, especially for such a short book! Thanks for the great review!
I wanted to giggle over your description of what to expect from the cover. I can totally see the Back to the Future with a psychedelic Scooby. Heehee! It’s been a little bit since I read this one, but I was glad to read the author’s note for more details about meeting his grandfather at age 18. Really helps add a layer to the reading experience. Thanks for sharing, Laura! (and my apologies for making the rounds so late from this last week…)