My toddler daughter loves books about grumpiness. My family and I always joke that my dad is grumpy. My daughter loves her “grumpy papa,” so she loves books that feature grumpy characters. So, when I say a book called Grumpy Bird on the shelf at our local library, I checked the book out immediately so that I could read the grumpy story to my daughter.
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard follows Bird, who wakes up one day grumpy. Bird is too grumpy too eat. He is too grumpy to play. He is even too grumpy to fly. So, with a grumpy disposition, grumpy Bird starts walking. As he is walking, he encounters other animals who keep asking him what he is doing. Growing ever grumpy, Bird snaps that he is just walking. The other animals find walking fun and decide to tag along with grumpy Bird. Will grumpy Bird stay grumpy?
The text in Grumpy Bird is fairly simple. Although recommended for readers between the ages of 3 and 5 years, the book also holds the attention of my 2-year-old toddler. Much of the language is repetitive, which is perfect for little readers who are still acquiring the English language. The book is 32 pages long. However, each page contains only a few short sentences at the most. The story is also fun for little readers, who will enjoy finding out whether grumpy Bird ever cheers up.
Although I was ambivalent about the illustrations at first, the more that I read the story, the more that I find the pictures interesting. The illustrations are very colorful and have the feel of a woodcut mixed with a comic strip. My toddler daughter especially likes pointing out the different animals on each page.
Final Verdict: If your little one likes grumpy characters or is feeling a little grumpy, Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard is the perfect book for you. The story is simple but fun for younger readers. The illustrations are brightly colored. My toddler daughter and I give Grumpy Bird four enthusiastic thumbs up.
Image Credits
Cover of Grumpy Bird © 2014 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Grumpy Bird 1 © 2014 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Grumpy Bird 2 © 2014 Heather Johnson
