Review: Grandpa Hugs by Laura Neutzling

GRANDPA HUGS

by Laura Neutzling

Illustrated by Cee Biscoe

Published by Thomas Nelson

Board/Picture Book

ages 3+

20 pages

Grandmas are for kisses, and grandpas are for great big hugs! Grandpas are fun! They go on adventures, tell silly jokes, say funny things, and love to eat treats. This adorable board book celebrates how wonderful spending time with Grandpa can be!

Little ones and grandpas alike will love Grandpa Hugs, the charming, rhyming storybook about how special a grandpa can be to a child. This companion to the acclaimed Grandma Kisses celebrates grandfathers and all the love and fun they bring to the special grandkids in their lives.

Whether it is a gift from a grandfather to his grandchild, a grandchild to her grandpa, or as a sweet, creative birth announcement for a first-time grandpa, Grandpa Hugs is bound to warm the hearts of everyone who reads it.

 MY TIDBITS

This is a gentle journey, which celebrates grandpas and all the wonderful ways they nurture and influence a grandchild's life.

Grandpas do so many things: play, eat ice cream, offer support and even pray. Through rhyme, many of these touching moments are brought to light and reflected upon.

Sturdy and ready for small hands, this board book will hold up to many hours of gazing and reading. Four line rhymes accompany every full page spread with a cheerful and bright description of the different things a child can experience with their grandpa. Some flow smoother than others. Every now and then, a small phrase follows in whimsical, colorful text which repeats the event in a type of sing-songy play.

The illustrations are bright yet gentle, bringing across the desired loving emotions. The watercolors add an airiness which is great for the youngest listeners, while still holding enough details to draw slightly older kids in time and again. Various animals are used to depict the grandparent-grandchild relationship, and this is cleverly enough done that the grandchildren could be of either gender (which makes it easy for the youngest to relate to and imagine themselves in the situations). The words and illustrations harmonize, allowing the pictures to bring the scenes to life. This is a perfect read for those children who share a special relationship with the grandfathers.