Smith, Lane. 2011. Grandpa Green. Ill. by Lane Smith. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596436077
2. Plot Summary
In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Lane Smith explores the concept of aging grandparents. The narrator,who is the great-grandson, tells about his great-grandfather's life growing up on a farm, going off to war, getting married, and starting a family. The important events of the great-grandfather's life are also illustrated as garden sculptures. The narrator says that even though his great-grandpa is getting older and sometimes forgets, the memories of his past can be found in his garden.
3. Critical Analysis
The third person perspective of the story, as told from the great-grandson's point of view, makes this story surprisingly personal and intimate. The story follows the typical plot structure of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution with a poignant theme about life and aging. The setting is the grandfather's garden when he is a boy, and as the story develops through the rising action, the grandfather goes through stages of his life and adds garden sculpture's depicting these stages. The climax of the story is when the grandfather must go off to war and leave his garden. Although he returns from war to marry and have children (falling action), he is no longer the only creator in the garden and passes his love of sculpting to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The resolution of the story occurs when the reader learns that the great-grandson will continue the great-grandfather's legacy by creating a garden sculpture of him after he's passed away. Smith's simple story is sprinkled with his stylistic quirky humor. For instance, after the narrator says, "In fourth grade he got chicken pox *," the reader is directed to an asterisk that explains "not from the chickens."
Smith's beautiful illustrations tell the story of the great-grandfather's life through the garden sculptures. Although some sculptures are child-like, such as the characters from The Wizard of Oz, other illustrations are powerful and show the harsh realities of life, such as the cannon with the tree sticking out of it splattered with red leaves which highlight the climax of the story when the man goes off to war. The muted green and brown color palette of the illustrations is calming and familiar, somewhat unexpected for a picture book; however, the soothing colors contrast the harsh reality of life that aging and death are inevitable. The final page of the book is a simple illustration on a white page of the great-grandson creating a garden sculpture of his great-grandfather. The story leaves the reader feeling happy about the bond between the young boy and his great-grandfather, and the reader is also reassured that the legacy of the old man will continue through his great-grandson.
4. Review Excerpts
2012 Caledcott Honor
Review in The Horn Book Magazine, September/October 2011: "A thoughtful, eloquent, and elegantly illustrated book to explore, consider, and read again."
Starred review from School Library Journal: "A clever premise, brilliant pacing, and whimsical illustrations."
5. Connections
*If you have a family member who is aging and has become forgetful or possibly nearing death, this book might be an easy way to begin that discussion with a young child.
*For more of Lane Smith's quirky humor and illustrations, see his collaborations with Jon Scieszka, especially The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
* Other books for children about grandparents and death:
Fullerton, Dawn Bernstrom. Talk to Me, Grandpa! Talk to Me! ISBN 9781579219642
Gray, Nigel. Little Bear's Grandpa. ISBN 1589250087
Haynes, Max. Grandma's Gone to Live in the Stars. ISBN 0807530263
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