Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie A. Jacobs, illustrated by Anne Jewett, tells the story of two little girls who enjoy an evening of babysitting with their nutty grandmother. When Grandma Tillie shows up, Sophie and Chloe know they're in for a treat, even though:
Grandma Tillie says she is too old to play games.
She says all she likes to do is sit and knit.
The moment their parents leave, though, Grandma Tillie disappears into the closet and reemerges with a giant pink wig, saying it's time for the "Tillie Vanilly Show".
Tillie Vanilly can recite the alphabet
backwards while balancing on one leg.
She can hang a spoon from her nose.
And she can juggle and tell jokes
at the same time.
She tells a few jokes and starts up a conga line that leads to the kitchen. Then, she trades her pink wig for a lampshade hat and becomes Chef Silly Tillie. After feeding Sophie and Chloe, she sends them to the bathroom to wash their hands and shows up wearing sparkly eyeglasses and a bathroom towel on her head, wrapped like a turban. Madame Frilly Tillie gives the girls their bath, including a bubble beard for one and a tower of bubbles on the head of the other.
But, at bedtime, the real Grandma Tillie returns to read a bedtime story. And, Sophie says:
But as I close my eyes,
I'm sure I hear my Silly
Frilly Grandma Tillie
dancing down the hall.
You can see more of the artist's work, including images from Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie at Anne Jewett's Art Blog. While I thought the cat looked a bit like a chipmunk and I can't say I was a fan of the giant pink wig, I loved the artwork and I like the creativity of the storyline. Some little girls may wish for a crazy grandmother after having Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie read to them. And, I'm sure little boys would enjoy the book, too, since it's directed at small enough children that a whole lot of pink and all girls won't make a difference to them.
Recommended - A creative, playful storyline with bold, happy illustrations make Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie a winner. Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie was just released by Flashlight Press.
Silly Isabel checks out a stuffed cockatoo, one of many treasures I found whilst "cleaning" the closet, this weekend:
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Your cat very cute^^
ReplyDeleteThank you, Peggy!
DeleteEveryone needs a grandma like Tilly! Great review today!
ReplyDeleteYes, I could have used one of those. My grandmother was kind of formal in my younger years ("No twirling in the chair! Careful on the white satin sofa!") although we became close, later on. :)
DeleteAnd, thank you. :)
DeleteThat sounds like such a lovely book! I hope I can be a granny like that when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteIt's very fun! I hope to be that kind of grandma someday, too. Apparently, I was a pretty goofy mother. :)
DeleteI so rarely read kids books anymore. I love the pic of Isabel, though. ;)
ReplyDeleteJenny,
DeleteReviewing children's books is a great excuse to read them, now and then -- and then pass them on (someday, though, I hope I'll have an excuse to keep some to read to grandkids). I just gave my copy of this one to a friend with a 4-year-old daughter. She was very excited.
Thanks! The cats were so funny while I was working at cleaning that closet. They were everywhere, exploring the spaces and smelling boxes. Isabel had fun batting at the cockatoo to make sure he wasn't going to jump up and get her. :)
I might have to seek this one out for my mom--bet she'd get a kick out of it, especially being a young Grandma. One of my very very favorite memories of my grandma is when we were playing Old Maid at her house--I must have been 6 or 7. She got SO mad that she was Old Maid AGAIN that she tore up all of the cards (of course in a playful way). I love having such a fun-loving grandma.
ReplyDeleteTrish,
DeleteWhat a great memory! I'll bet you're right; your mom would get a kick out of Silly Frilly and have a great time reading it to your little chickpea banana. It's a delightful story.