By: Susannah McFarlane / Illustrated by: Tamsin AinslieSend off your grumpy grumbles in style!Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but shes very grumbly. She didnt get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out.Gr
By: Susannah McFarlane / Illustrated by: Tamsin Ainslie
Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but shes very grumbly. She didnt get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out.
Grandma shows Emma how to draw your grumbles. Then how to take your grumble drawing and fold it into a boat. They take their boats out to the water and say goodbye to their grumbles forever. Once they let go of their grumbly feelings, a different type of grumble makes them realize something: it’s time for lunch! A gentle and loving social-emotional learning story for little ones learning to navigate their feelings.
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Susannah McFarlane, author
Susannah McFarlane is an award-winning author of several childrens books and series, including the EJ12 Girl Hero series, the EJ Spy School series, and the D-Bot Squad series. She is also the author of Grumble Boats, a CBCA Honor Book winner, Fairytales for Feisty Girls, and Bold Tales for Brave-hearted Boys. Susannah has appeared on several TV and radio shows, and has written for numerous blogs. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family.
Read more about Susannah.
Tamsin Ainslie, illustrator
Tamsin Ainslie is the illustrator of more than fifty books, including In My Garden, Count My Kisses, and CBCA Notable Book winners, Collecting Sunshine and Grumble Boats. Her paintings and drawings are held in collections all over the world. Tamsin lives in Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales, Australia, on a rambling, messy farm with her family and three dogs, two horses, and an array of chickens and ducks that provide her with never-ending inspiration.
Read more about Tamsin.
Kirkus Reviews
In this Australian import, a grandmother shows a little girl how to let go of her grumpy attitude.
Emmas brother is attending a pirate party, but Emma is too young to go with him. Instead, her parents drop her off at Grandmas house. With her arms tightly crossed and her mouth set in a frown, Emma makes her feelings abundantly clear. Grandma takes Emma and Bella the dog to the beach. Pulling out paper and pens, Grandma says, Were going to draw our grumbles. As she sketches zigzag lines and pointy corners, Grandma explains that shes expressing her irritation about breaking her favorite teacup this morning. Emma is initially reluctant but then scribbles her frustrations onto the paper. With the tide rolling in, Grandma helps Emma fold the papers into boats. They both run to the waters edge and toss their grumble boats in, waving their grumbles goodbye. Soft, smudgy watercolor-and-pen illustrations imbue the narrative with a gentleness reminiscent of a grandparents hug; the artistic medium feels especially apt given the aquatic setting. This quiet lesson on art therapy may help youngsters deal with their own grumbly feelings. Instructions on folding a grumble boat are appended, along with a brief statement noting that paper is biodegradable, but readers should avoid littering. The characters are light-skinned.
Cheery guidance on cultivating a more positive outlook.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-617-5
Ages: 36
Page count: 40
10 x 8
Publication date: April 15, 2025
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