Maya was Grumpy by Courtney Pippin-Mathur just happened to arrive after one of those days that I grumped around the house all day and even coffee wasn't doing the trick. Excellent timing. I smiled and even laughed out loud a little because I could so totally relate to little grumpy Maya.
She didn't know why she was grumpy.
She was just in a
crispy, cranky,
grumpy,
grouchy
mood.
She didn't want to read
or color or eat banana chips,
or wear her favorite shorts, or go outside and play.
The only thing Maya wanted to do
was grouch around the house and share her bad mood.
Yeah, exactly. And, obviously, she was having every bit as bad a hair day as I was. Haha. Fortunately, Maya has one of those terrific grandmothers with a crazy sense of humor.
"Well then," said Gramma, "I guess that means
no hunting for hippos after breakfast."
After Gramma talks about not being able to stick her head in a crocodile, swing with the monkeys or slide down the neck of a giraffe, etc., with Maya grumping the whole time, finally she weasles a smile and a hug out of Maya and fixes her hair. You can usually peek into Flashlight Press books at their website (link leads to info about Maya was Grumpy), but I don't see a link to an inside view for this one. Trust me, it's great, though.
After Gramma fixes Maya's hair, they go to the playground, where all the animal references make sense. There's a hippo-shaped sandbox, monkey bars with a monkey figure hanging at the end, a giraffe slide, an open crocodile-mouth tunnel to climb into. That makes for a very smile-worthy and perfect wrap-up.
Highly recommended - Hilarious and perfect to read on a cranky day. Gorgeous, bright, funny illustrations, a great story and a perfect conclusion made Maya was Grumpy a personal favorite.
Maya was Grumpy is my final review of 4 for Children's Day. Next up will be a recap of this week's posts, since I have written quite a few, then on to my review and F2F report on the discussion about Kate Atkinson's Life After Life.
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Thanks for the fantastic review. The "Peek Inside" feature will be active on our website soon!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! Thanks for letting me know, Shari. I love Maya Was Grumpy so much that it's still propped up by the computer so I can smile at Maya's grumpy face and crazy hair, now and then. :)
DeleteThank you for the lovely review! It brightened my day!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The hair is based on my daughter's curly locks. :)
You're welcome! Loved it! I just happen to have blonde, curly hair, myself. :)
DeleteI'm always on the lookout for books for the grands, and this one sounds delightful!
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful! I don't think I can part with my copy. I need it for my own grumpy days. :)
DeleteI teach kinder, I love kid's books. I look forward to reading this one to my students...I heard an interview with the author on Kids Place Live and immediately went home to look it up. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteVictor, I think Maya Was Grumpy would be perfect to read to kindergarten students. It's such a fun book and particularly good for a rainy day when everyone's grumpy!
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