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    Grandpa Green: (Caldecott Honor Book)
    Unavailable
    Grandpa Green: (Caldecott Honor Book)
    Unavailable
    Grandpa Green: (Caldecott Honor Book)
    Ebook35 pages6 minutes

    Grandpa Green: (Caldecott Honor Book)

    By Lane Smith

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From the creator of the national bestseller It's a Book comes this Caldecott Honor Book, a timeless story of family history, legacy, and love.

    Grandpa Green wasn't always a gardener. He was a farmboy and a kid with chickenpox and a soldier and, most of all, an artist. In this captivating new picture book, readers follow Grandpa Green's great-grandson into a garden he created, a fantastic world where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten.

    In his most enigmatic and beautiful work to date, Lane Smith explores aging, memory, and the bonds of family history and love; by turns touching and whimsical, it's a stunning picture book that parents and grandparents will be sharing with children for years to come.

    This title has Common Core connections.

    Grandpa Green is a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Picture Books title for 2011.
    One of School Library Journal's Best Picture Books of 2011.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateAug 30, 2011
    ISBN9781429962964
    Unavailable
    Grandpa Green: (Caldecott Honor Book)
    Author

    Lane Smith

    Lane Smith is the creator of a shelf of books, including the New York Times bestselling It's a Book and its companion, It's a Little Book. The beautiful Caldecott Honor-winning Grandpa Green can also be found there alongside his brilliantly quirky collaborations with Jon Scieszka including The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. He has also illustrated Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach and collaborated on the conceptual design of the Disney movie adaptation. In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Illustrators. In 2017 he won the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for There Is a Tribe of Kids. Lane Smith and his wife, the designer Molly Leach, live in a small town in rural Connecticut, USA.

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    Reviews for Grandpa Green

    4.5/5

    309 ratings64 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book deserves every award it has won. A grandson is telling the reader about his grandfather and his dream of being a great gardner. But sometimes life gets in the way and as you age, you forget. But some things never do. Such a lovely book and a lovely story. But beware, it can be a bit of a tear jerker (in a happy way).
    • 4/5
      This book a good beginner read because it doesn't have a lot of words and the pictures help tell the story very well. This book is from a young boys perspective about his great grand father and his life. The boy talks about his great grandpas childhood and how he got chicken pox in elementary school, when he got his first crush and kiss and also when he got married and what jobs he had. My favorite part though is when he talks about why he looks up to his great grandpa. This is an overall good book because to talks about life experiences that some will have to go through at some point in their life. Grandpa Green is a good realistic fiction book because people go through things like that.
    • 4/5
      Grandpa Green is a heartwarming story about a boy seeing his Grandpa's life through the garden art that he has created over the years. Even though the reader doesn't see Grandpa Green until the end of the book, the reader is able to surmise the closeness of the relationship between the boy and his grandpa through the various gardening tasks that Smith has the boy performing on every page of the book. The illustrations are simple, beautiful, and detailed. Using all different colors of green in the garden, while allowing for the trees, characters, and other props to remain simple black outlines, really helps to bring the garden alive. I love the simplicity of the trees and supporting foliage in the garden that allow for the trimmed garden art to take center stage and really tell the story.
    • 5/5
      Different - as in creative & original. Not a whole lot of humor. The 'adventure' is simply that of Life. The smallest children might only like the art and not want the text at all. That's ok; he can get lost in the art when he uses his imagination. An older child might relate the man in the story to her own grandpa or other older relative, especially if grandpa is developing Alzheimer's, for example. A parent might simply remember his grandpa, or might be inspired to plant a tree.

      I must say, I'm usually not fond of philosophical or artsy-fartsy books, metaphysical puzzles and metaphors, hidden meanings (after all, it's not really just about topiary)... but this book has all that and more, and it just blows me away.

      I'd say, buy this book for a little one and share it every time Grandpa is expected for a visit, and then on the anniversary of his birthday if he dies before the child is grown. (Of course if they love it let them read it every time they want to.) Each time it's read as the child grows she will get more out of it.

      Whatever you do, whether you're reading it on your own, sharing it with a child or with a teen, don't be cynical. If you don't like it the first time, read it at least once more. Let the magic move you.
    • 5/5
      One of my new favorite kids' books. Beautiful illustrations and a really lovely story--a young boy telling about his great-grandfather's life through the grandfather's topiary garden.
    • 3/5
      A grandson walks through a garden telling the story of his grandfather's life. Topiary's are used to illustrate different phases, places and people in his grandfathers life. The topiary's are gorgeous and the book is very expressive with a limited color palette and and "medium" to work with. It's kind of amazing. I absolutely see why this was a Caldecott honor book.
    • 5/5
      This is an exceptional book, and a wonderful, spot on way of blending story and artistry that leaves the reader smiling.Told by a little boy who is journeying through the story of his great grandfather via the topiaries he so loved to make. As we follow the little boy through the garden path where large green topiaries remind him of the love that continues throughout all the years of the garden.We learn thatthe grandpa was born a long time ago, grew up on a farm, got chicken pox in fourth grade (not from the chickens), and so the little boy read while recovering.His great grandfather studied horticulture, in middle school stole his first kiss, married his wife he met in France during the war....and they never fought!As the reader progresses into the journey of lovely green, the boy notes the great grand pa grew old and forgot things, but when he forgot, the topiaries told his story.This is a Caldecott Honor Book. I'm surprised it did not receive the Caldecott Medal.
    • 3/5
      This is a story of a boy whose great-grandpa likes to garden. The story of his life is told through his gardening.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun book for young readers and preschoolers about the importance of the older generation. In this case, the author and artist create that memorial through topiary images. It was deserving of its Caldecott honor.
    • 5/5
      Grandpa Green by Lane Smith is the story of family, memories, and topiaries. Grandpa Green has a beautiful garden full of different shaped trees and bushes. Each one tells an important family story.The book follows Grandpa Green and his great-grandson as they tour the garden. As they pass a topiary, Grandpa Green tells the story behind it.The artwork is done in a muted pallet of greens and browns.It's similar to Arnold Lobel's choice of color in his Frog and Toad books but the use of line and the attention to detail is like Chris Van Allsburg's style.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book for two reasons. First, I absolutely love the illustrations. They are beautiful and creative and really enhance the story. My favorite picture is on the page, it unfolds to show the entire garden. Secondly, I like the way that the writing is organized. The way that it's written truly lead the reader through the entire book. I also liked the message of the book which I believe is to enjoy and respect grandparents and our elders.
    • 5/5
      Grandpa Green follows a little boy walking through his grandfather's special garden. It is filled with trees landscaped specifically meant to tell his life story and to help his grandpa remember the important details about his life. The moments recreated include the farm Grandpa was born on, when he became interested in gardening, where he met his wife and how he had many grandchildren and great grandchildren.This was a very interesting book. It was entertaining and very creative. I really liked the fact that most of the pictures were created with different shades of green. 1. I would use this book to get the children interested in learning more about their grandparents or some other older person's life and have the children make a book for that person to help them remember important details about their life.2. I would also have the children make a mini book with pictures using various shades of one color to show how you can be creative and clearly tell story in a simplistic way.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the most beautifully illustrated picture books I have read in the last few years. It is a story of love, devotion, gardening, and the power of a green thumb. This book will inspire children to imagine, and may even instill a love of all things green. I think this is a great book for teaching children about using their imaginations, and the concept of narration.
    • 5/5
      A picture book that made me cry. A little boy explores his grandpa's magical and auto-biographical garden, while realizing that Grandpa's memory is fading. The pictures add much that is unsaid by the text.
    • 3/5
      I think it's too artistic for a childrens' book. When I read it, the kids didn't get it and I thought it was depressing.
    • 4/5
      I had a personal connection with this book because my maiden name is Green so I had a Grandpa Green when I was a kid. One of my favorite things about beside the personal connection was the illustrations. The way that the trees and shrubs in the book symbolize Grandpa Green's life are really beautiful. I also liked that it can teach children about what life was like for their grandparents when they were growing up. Very touching and whimsical.
    • 5/5
      I loved everything about this book. The pictures are engaging enough for a child and the story is touching enough to hold the interest of an adult.
    • 5/5
      A young boy tells the story of his grandfather's life. The end of the story displays the grandfathers green garden full of sculptures that capture the story of the grandfather.
    • 4/5
      Lane Smith does it yet again. I am a big fan of Lane Smiths illustrations. This book is done in watercolor, oil paint, and digital paint. The pictures depict a luscious green garden with vibrant shades, shapes, animals, and stories. The shapes of the bushes all detail the story of the Grandpa as it progresses. The main character is a great-grandchild of the grandpa. It shares the grand story of an average man and the legacy he left with his family. I especially liked this book because my own grandfather used to take me on "jungle rides" in the forest that he constantly developed and explored. USE: inspiring interest in the lives of others; entertainment; family gatherings.
    • 2/5
      Each page of the book is so detailed but simple at the same time, this is what i like most about the book.
    • 5/5
      If you can get through this book without tearing up, I'm not sure what gristly substance your heart must be made of. A truly beautiful tribute to unconditional love.
    • 5/5
      The most stunning children's book about topiary I have ever seen. Edward Scissorhands has got nothing on Grandpa Green!
    • 5/5
      If you can get through this book without tearing up, I'm not sure what gristly substance your heart must be made of. A truly beautiful tribute to unconditional love. I JUST TEARED UP AGAIN. Gah.
    • 3/5
      This book made me cry a little. I was feeling nostalgic that day. Do I think kids will enjoy this picture book? Not younger ones. I think this one is aimed at an older audience.
    • 4/5
      Grade: k-3Contemporary realistic fictionGrandpa Green is told from the point of view of his great grandson. I really liked this method of telling the story although you did not really find out who the narrator was until the end of the story. The great grandson describes events from his grandfather’s life. He discusses his birth, getting chicken pox, going to war and marrying his great grandmother. This book uses very few words to describe the events but the illustrations are very unique and descriptive. The picture used bushes cut into shapes in the garden in order to depict certain events. This allowed me to see how important nature was to grandpa green. Even at the end of the great grandson informs the reader that even though his grandpa is old and forgetful now his garden remembers things for him. This ties together the theme of family and nature well. You can tell by the illustrations that grandpa green and his great grandson spend a lot of quality time in this garden. I also really liked the layout of this book. The few amount of words and large descriptive illustrations are very conducive to a young reader.
    • 5/5
      I liked this book because it was very interesting, and I have never seen a book like it before. First, I enjoyed reading this book because of the point of view of the story. The main character, the great grandson, was the narrator. He told the story of his great grandfather’s life and memories through various topiary tree illustrations. I think this was a wonderful way to write a story from a different perspective. Rather than making the great grandfather the main character, the author chose to make the great grandson the main character. The second reason I liked the book was because of the illustrations. I feel the author’s usage of topiary tree illustrations to describe the great grandfathers memories was just genius, and truly enhanced the story. For example in the book it said, “He met his future wife in a little café.” The illustration was of a topiary tree woman with a flower in her hair, wearing a dress, and carrying hot coffee on a serving tray. Also various illustrations such as a gardening shovel and gloves were shown throughout the book to show the grandfather was forgetful. I thought that was an awesome touch. The main idea of the book was that you could keep memories alive in different ways. That growing older sometimes means forgetting things, but your imagination can create things that are forgotten.
    • 5/5
      This was a very cute story about a boy telling this great-grandfather's brief life story through the different topiary in his garden. And that even though the great-grandfather is getting old, the important things are remembered through the topiary.The pictures are exquisite and really detailed, but still simple. The colors are mainly green, but as time ages the colors age also- becoming brown. Great book, easy read, definitely deserved a medal! Loved it!
    • 5/5
      A topiary garden illustrates the life of a young boy’s grandfather. This is a beautifully illustrated book that must be read more than once.
    • 5/5
      We learn the history of grandpa's life, love, and family through his grandson's narration and grandpa's topiaries, which stand as living artifacts of his life. I love so much about this book: the captivating images, the evolution of the story, the honesty of the narrator, the little boy's feelings for his grandpa--many of which are implicit, the value of appreciating and seeking family stories, the extended pages at the end. And, I found myself rereading it a few times to appreciate more about the relationship between text and illustrations afterward.Possible teaching connections: narration, plot, voice
    • 5/5
      The visual elements of this book are amazing. I love that the little boys imagination comes to life via the topiary in his Grandpa's garden.