Ahh...Summer is here! It's a time for outdoor fun. For me, it's a time to prepare my back yard for family barbecues. That means pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, and trimming the bushes. But I have one big problem that shows up every time I go through great lengths to make my yard look beautiful--the resident gofer! It never fails. I can count on the gofer to show up the day after the lawn is prepared to leave his signature holes in my lawn. I can only dream of a yard like Grandpa Green's garden of topiaries.
Grandpa Green by Lane SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a sweet and simple picture book with whimsical illustrations that will delight the young reader’s imagination. For the adult reader, it does not satisfy at the first read. This book offers something deeper, touching the hearts of adults. Lane Smith masterfully explores core subjects such as aging, family legacy, memory, and love. It leaves much for discussion after several reads. The beautiful artwork is a great accompaniment to the simple text.
This is not a character-driven plot, but a concept book. It is a quiet picture book that chronicles the life of a grandfather through topiaries, which depict the milestones of Grandpa Green. As a concept book, this book may not offer much for readers ages 7 and older. It is a poignant story with a message that may be too deep for them to comprehend. So the story will leave them feeling lost and unfulfilled. But for the younger reader, the whimsical illustrations will entertain their visual senses. Grandpa Green offers something for adults and the very young, but there is an age gap that is left unsatisfied. Nevertheless, I find that this would make a perfect gift for a grandchild, between the ages of 2-5, whose grandfather gardens.
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Excellent and thorough review. I love Lane Smith's work, but I haven't read this one yet. I'll have to check it out.
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