Visit with Grandpa and Grandma a wonderful last gift from author
Grandpa’s Storybook Collection By Joy Watson and Wendy Hodder ReviewedbyLouise Ward, WardiniBooks
One of the most iconic books for children in Aotearoa NewZealand has to be Grandpa’s Slippers, byJoy
Watson.
The tale of an archetypal Grandpa in scratty old cardigan and slippers pottering about the house and garden has been reassuringly familiar to manyyoung readers. Howluckywe are then, that there isnowGrandpa’s Storybook Collection, with all five Grandpa stories compiled in one book.
Webegin with Grandpa’s Slippers, in which there is an epic marital struggle between practicalGrandma and stubborn Grandpa as they engage in gentle combat over his tatty, worn slippers.
With escalating repetition, wehear that the slippers are going to fall to bits, that the stitching hascome undone, the fluff haswornoff and other heinous slipper crimes— but Grandpa continues to declare that’s thewayhe likes them. Grandmais right, of course, and Grandpaknows it, setting them upfor an excellent punchline and the next story, with Grandma’s practical eye subsequently landing on Grandpa’s cardigan.
Andsowecontinue with Grandpa’s Cardigan, Grandpa’s Shorts, Grandpa’s Shed and Grandpa’s Cat, all featuring this lovely couple and their everyday life. OnGrandpa’s quest to find anewcardigan, footsore and disheartened, he happensuponthe perfect cardy in the op-shop; and yes, it is the one thatGrandma darned and re-buttoned and sent there. Grandpa is off to clear out the shed, but the things he finds prompt somanyjobs that his original missionmaynever be completed. Grandpa justknowshe has the perfect beach shorts somewhere, and he turns the house upside to find them. These aresome of the themes, narrated withhumour and love.
These stories are so comforting and gentle that the reader adopts these grandparents as their own. Gentle, patient, kind Grandma; energetic, single-minded Grandpa. The tales have us wishing formore stories: Did the seeds Grandpa plantedcomeup? Whatdid they do at the beach? What’s the cat’s name, and did she getdownfrom the tree again?
Joy Watson died last year, and this collection has a lovely foreword about Joy and her husband Kevin, featuring a beautiful illustration of the pair byWendyHodder. Whata wonderful gift Joy has left us.