Tulips

by Jay O'Callahan, Debrah Santini (Illustrator), Dabra L. Santini (Illustrator)

When practical joker Pierre decides to play a trick on his beloved Grand Ma Mere, the results are anything but what he expects!

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Jay O'Callahan is a prominent American storyteller for people of all ages. He has performed at numerous national and international storytelling festivals, in theaters worldwide, and on the radio. He performs almost exclusively material of his own authorship. He has recorded many of his oral stories and has written picture books based on several of his tales. O'Callahan is best known for his large-scale oral stories that present the texture of a culture and a time in history through the perceptions of a central narrative character.

O'Callahan's storytelling style is generally quiet and understated. His performances do not use props, sets, costumes, dramatic movement or instrumental music. He has a spellbinding ability to embody through the cadence of words his central characters (young and old, male and female), evoking soundscapes of seemingly ordinary life, with something epic and magical flickering just around the edges.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This humorous picture book tells the story of Pierre–a boy who loves pranks and practical jokes. When he visits his Grand Ma Mere each year her whole household is set on edge.
Then one autumn he decides to play a trick on Grand Ma Mere herself. The results are surprising and satisfying!
Reading level: M
Tie in:
Seasonal: Spring, Tulip Time
Science: tulip life cycle
ELA: inferences
Possible discussion points:
Geography: The story takes place in France. Grand Ma Mere has a beautiful tulip garden; our city of Holland has beautiful tulip gardens too. Do Michigan and France have similar climates?
Grandparents: Pierre, a French boy, calls his grandmother Grand Ma Mere. What name do you call your grandmother? (See also the book’s dedications.) In what way is your grandmother alike/different from Grand Ma Mere?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great picture book for teaching inferences!