GRANDPA GREEN

1.  Bibliography

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

2.  Plot Summary

Lane Smith’s heartwarming picture book is the story of Grandpa Green, a man who has lived a very full and seemingly satisfying life, but has begun to get fuzzy on some of the details.  His great grandson tells his tale about being born before modern technology, growing up on a farm, and planning to study horticulture after high school.  Life altered his course, and he went to war instead.  He married after it was over and had children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  In his old age, as Grandpa Green’s memory may be fading, his garden holds the story of his past in its beautiful sculpted shrubbery.    

3.  Critical Analysis

Lane Smith tells Grandpa Green’s story with simple language that young children can easily follow, yet even mature readers are sure to be enticed to eagerly turn each page. Special details of his life are shared in a poignant way left this reader feeling quite nostalgic. The slightly melancholic turn of his memory loss is quickly followed by the spectacular final reveal of Grandpa Green in the midst of his breathtaking horticultural handiwork, so that readers feel uplifted and contented at the conclusion. 

The illustrations in the book weave a beautiful tapestry that perfectly complements the writing, and readers will not want to flip these pages quickly.  Each detailed work of art incorporates the clean lines of trees and branches alongside blossoming plants shaped into the pictures that tell the story.  True to the title, green permeates each whimsical illustration of the sculpted shrubbery of Grandpa Green’s garden, while other colors remain muted, save for some artfully scattered pops of red detail throughout the book.  Children are sure to find humor in the shrubbery sculpted like an unfortunate boy with chicken pox and wonder at the plants shaped into exploding cannon surrounded green parachuting soldiers.   

Readers will be delighted to take their time with this book, poring over the pictures as they relive Grandpa Green’s life story.  The book encourages readers to think of the future as it fuels a desire to live life fully, and to always remember to stop and smell the roses.

4.  Review Excerpts

Caldecott Honor Book Award

Starred review in School Library Journal:  “Visually intriguing and emotionally resonant, this is a book to pore over and talk about.  With each subsequent reading, it offers new layers of meaning and visual connections.”

Kirkus Reviews:  “Though this book has lots of adult appeal, it will also be a wonderful bridge to exploring family history with the very young.”

5.  Connections

*This book can be a launching pad for class discussion about family, memories, and the legacy of grandparents. It could also be used as a beginning of horticulture study.  That new vocabulary word will hold meaning after children experience Grandpa Green. 

*Gather other books by Lane Smith such as It’s a Book and Abe Lincoln’s Dream to compare and contrast style, story, and illustrations.

*Other books about gardens and gardening:

Millard, Glenda.  Isabella’s Garden.  Ill. By Rebecca Cool. ISBN 9780763660161

Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed. Ill. By Crockett Johnson. ISBN 9780060233501