GRANDPA GREEN

A. Bibliography:

Smith, Lane. 2011. Grandpa Green. New York: Roaring Brook Press.   ISBN 9781596436077

B. Plot Summary:

      The great grandson of Grandpa Green tells the story of Grandpa Green's life from birth to present time. The grandson tells of his grandpa's childhood, his schooling, his dedication to country, the love of his life, his family and finally his present state. The story is depicted in beautiful garden topiaries.


C. Critical Analysis:

      The story of Grandpa Green is told through the eyes of his great grandson which establishes the plot of the importance of remembering your past. The great grandson is believable in his age and is easily followed by readers of the same age. The reader can easily understand the bond the great grandson has with his grandfather due to the use of illustrations and details in his explanation of his grandfather's journey through life.

      The illustrations in the story depict the timeline of the great grandfather's life. Smith's illustrations and text go hand in hand and rely on each other to develop the importance of family connections and memories. It is clear the adoration the great grandson has for his grandfather through the illustrations. In every illustration except for the first page, the grandson is present and actively engaged with the topiaries almost as if the grandson is reliving the old man's memories. An example of the text and illustration connection would be when grandfather gets the chicken pox. The illustration on the page shows berries (as pox) on the face of the the bush shaped like a child in a bed. The grandson is helping clean-up the berries in this illustration and caring for the bush just like he would have his grandfather. Smith's illustrations are done primarily in shades of green; the richer the shade of green, the better the memory.

      The setting of this book is in a gorgeous garden that has been pruned to fit the memories of his great grandfather's life. Each turn of the page follows the time line of the great grandfather from birth to old age. The garden itself becomes a character in the book representing memories passed to the grandson. By the end of the book the reader understand the connection the characters have when it says, "the garden remembers for him". The great grandson, great grandfather and the garden are all connected through memories.

      Although the protagonist in the story is fair skinned, it is a story that could be relevant to all young readers. The prevalence of the green in the illustrations outweighs the skin tone of the two main characters. Smith makes sure to avoid stereotypes, yet it is apparent that this could be an American tale because of the mention of the world war and the illustrations of the Wizard of Oz and the Little Engine that Could. This book could easily be shared with a group of mixed race children.

D. Review Excerpt:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lane-smith/grandpa-green/#review reviews the book as follows: "Watering a garden, pulling a wagon, collecting dropped gardening gloves and tools, a little fellow works in an amazing topiary world made of memories. The trees tell the story of his great-grandfather’s life—from birth to chicken pox to high school to military service and, later, marriage. Many of the illustrations morph with page turns: Tears from the baby become water from a hose; a mysterious conical shape becomes a cannon; a bunny near a tiny tree munches a carrot topiary. Splashes of red—berries, a hair bow, gunfire and a heart—make brief appearances in this green world, but green, like Grandpa’s name, is the star of this show. When the boy reunites Grandpa Green with his missing things, readers discover that though Grandpa sometimes forgets, the garden remembers for him. The illustrations say what the text doesn't need to—that the love between boy and elder is elemental and honest. One surprising and sparkling gatefold shows the whole garden, with Grandpa Green working on his newest creation: his grandson fighting a dragon. 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."

E. Awards

Caldecott Honor book 2011

A New York Times BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK 2011

A Publishers Weekly BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK 2011

SILVER MEDAL Society of Illustrators 2011

(Just to name a few)

F. Connections

-This books would be wonderful to use with a second grade classroom because the little boy seems to be around that age and at second grade students are expected to produce their own timeline of their life. This book would be an excellent introduction to timelines and would also help students develop stories with their personal timelines.

Lane Smith's website:
http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html

Book trailer for Grandpa's Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDbEfsdIGjI

-Other books by Lane Smith



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