Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus

by Edward Hemingway

Have you ever met a Grumpasaurus? I bet you have. In fact, you may even have one in your own home. Want to know what makes them tick? This handy guide, meticulously researched and lovingly illustrated, tells you everything you need to know. Above all they should be handled with care—otherwise they can become VERY loud and VERY fearsome. In this appealingly modern and clever picture book, a field guide format is applied to the study of the cranky child . . . er, rather, the GRUMPASAURUS . . . who, in spite of himself, will win your heart.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Emotion, Dinosaurs, Juvenile, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Edward Hemingway is an author/illustrator living in Brooklyn, New York. His books include "Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship" and "Bump in the Night". He is the illustrator of Alice Waters forthcoming "Tiny Pie".
He grew up in Bozeman, Montana.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is not extinct! Be careful! Watch yourself! Fun book for small children who throw temper tantrums - will they see the connection? I have also started calling some of my friends this name; as usual they get mad at first, but when they see it is just a joke (and they can call me one back) it enters our argot in a positive way!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look out! There's a Grumpasaurus on the loose. Here's the best way to avoid a confrontation with this cantankerous beast . . . at least until it turns back into a little boy again.

Cute tale. I like how it was printed to resemble a notebook.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It's really cute and I love the concept all the way up until the gift-giving part. It seems like a bad idea to reward bad behavior with gifts....It seems like this could have been worded differently. Maybe instead of calling the mended bear a gift, the author could have stressed the importance of being helpful and kind when someone is upset.

[Elizabeth Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus to my own nine year old and thirteen year old grumpasaurus. Even though this picture book is written for younger children, both boys laughed along with it. The only thing that confused my children is the gift given to the grumpasaurus at the end. Oh, well, it is adorable.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this amusing picture-book field guide, author/artist Edward Hemingway examines the habits and characteristics of the Badmoodicus grumpasauricus, better known as the North American Grumpasaurus. The grumpy little creature's mighty roar, its pestering of adults, its discontent at being made to do anything it doesn't want to - all are laid out here. Of course, if the Grumpasaurus smiles, something very unexpected occurs...

I had the pleasure of reading Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus with the author at an event - in reality, he read while I held up the book for the audience to see the illustrations - and it was a hit! The ending, in which the Grumpasaurus is revealed as a young boy, was not unexpected, given the hints throughout, but it will still entertain young children, who will identify with various aspects of the creature under discussion. I enjoyed the artwork here, which, with its combination of subtler sepia scenes and vibrantly colorful elements, reminded me a bit of Dan Santat's work in The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend - high praise indeed! Recommended to young children who enjoy imaginative tales of magical beings and/or poorly behaved creatures.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpasaurus goes by many names, but one thing stays the same... you need to stay a safe distance away until it vanishes. This how-to guide to identifying and dealing with a grumpasaurus is simple and cute. Readers will see grumpasaurus in others. Will they see themselves from time to time?

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written as a field guide, this book could serve as a mentor (with other guides) for the genre. The topic is humorous instead of realistic, so this book shows some ways to extend the genre in creative ways.

[Kerrikoala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me of Crankenstein, and maybe that one was just a little better, but this was still enjoyable.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young and old grumps everywhere will recognize themselves and others. A simple but meaningful story.
Each page and gutter looks like a notebook. Labels and brief descriptions add to the feel of a real field guide.
Love the cat!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good guide. Sometimes we all need to be aware of encountering (errrr becoming) a Grumpasaurus!

[Taylor Meier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus written by Edward Hemingway was a really great book! This book is all about a young boy who seems to be having a bad day. His black cat seems to be the one who has to deal with his attitude. The cat realizes that when the boy is grumpy, to stay away or he will get splashed with bath water. Once the young boy receives a gift, he becomes happy again and the cat knows he can approach him. This book is one that I would read as an interactive read aloud in my elementary classroom. I feel that a lot of my students would be able to relate to the grumpasaurus who is actually just like them. This book would help show the students what other people might think of them when they are having a bad day and taking it out on anyone in their path. I also really liked the illustrations in this book, which I would also mention to the students and ask them open ended questions about. One illustration I might make known to the students is the dark rain cloud above the grumpasaurus's head when he is upset. I feel like this book would bring about a lot of discussion and make the students feel really involved with the main character.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hemingway, Edward Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus Clarion (Houghton Mifflin), 2016. $16.99. PICTURE BOOK
Presented as a field guide to the Grumpasaurus creature, its sort of information being told to a cat, who encounters the creature. The guide explains the characteristics of the Grumpasaurus , why it is the way it is, and what to watch out for. The poor cat gets the brunt end of the grumpiness. Finally the reader learns how to cure it, give it a gift.

Not exactly my idea of how to calm a grumpy child, reward them with a gift. I liked the format and the illustrations, but I am also not quite sure who the intended audience is. Most children old enough to get the humor or read it on their own, would be past the temper tantrum faze, while those children young enough to act this way, and have this story read to them, might have trouble understanding the story.

PRE-K, EL(K-3) – NO. Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

This tongue-in-cheek guide to the grumpasaurus, one of the world’s most fearsome creatures, features an anthropomorphized dino-like biped who becomes infuriated when his teddy gets torn. Scowls, storm clouds and general bad behavior ensue as the adults and the family cat “proceed with caution” in dealing with the grumpy one. Even a bath fails to soothe the grumpasaurus. It isn’t until the female in the house presents the grumpasaurus with his repaired teddy that he miraculously turns into a lovable young boy. The field guide format is rendered in lined notebook paper and small type and is presumably intended for the adults reading the story. Young readers will focus on the oil illustrations that colorfully capture the grumpasaurus’ antics. Youngsters will surely see themselves in the grumpasaurus and can relate to his undesirable behaviors. But this is a flawed lesson for toddlers if the only way to appease the grumpasaurus is by bearing gifts. The entire ending seems off to me.

[Jordan Baughman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever seen a creature who never smiles, keeps its arms folded, has angry eyes, and is just no fun to be around? Then you have seen a Grumpasaurus. Edward Hemingway wrote a clever informational fiction book/guide on how to identify the elusive “grumpasaurus”. This cute yet moody character is dissected on each page, with labels and explanations for the grumpy creature. Text features, labeling pictures, and point of view are all subjects that can be taught through this book. I would suggest it read to grades K-2.

[Ashley Biles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hemingway, E. (2016) Field guide to the Grumpasurus. New York: Clarion Books.

This was a super cute book that followed "Grumpasaurus" from being grumpy to turning back into a little boy. This was such a creative way to describe a child's temper tantrum in a way that they can understand what is going on and possibly relate to! I loved that the illustrations looked like what an old field guide would actually look like.

[Graham Pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does one deal with a Grumpasaurus? This book is an instruction manual for just how to tame the elusive, indestructible, all too familiar Grumpasaurus. A frequent read as my kiddo navigates the terrible twos!

[Mely · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a book more for parents, LOL. I tried to read it to my toddler while she was throwing a temper tantrum. It didn't work. Cute concept, but a little all over the place.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Cute story about boy who when grumpy turns into a grumpasaurus
- Includes fun descriptions that point to the pictures to give detail

I thought this book was adorable and a fun little story

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains what to look for and what to be cautious about approaching a grumpasaurus. And once the grump disappears, he's all better and can be approached at will.

[Susan Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for character analysis

[Lisa D]

Perfect book for young kids that get grumpy sometimes! Loved it!!

[Dierdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is a field guide to the Badmoodicus Grumpasauricus, also known as the North American Grumpasaurus. Parents reading this may be all too familiar with this beast. Children listening to the story, might not recognize it at first. It was a cute book, but very similar to another book, Crankenstein, just using a "dinosaur" instead of Frankenstein's monster as the child in a bad mood. I thought the font of the "guide" was a tad too tiny, but the illustrations were minimal and not too distracting. I was pleased with the book overall. My 5 year old son liked it, so we will be reading it multiple times.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in the format of a field guide for wild animals, this is super fun until the end. The idea that such poor behavior will be rewarded with a gift and everything will be better just isn't one I want to encourage. I wonder if instead of saying "bearing gifts" I could say "bearing solutions"? Hmm, I'm not sure my preschoolers at story time will know what a solution is... Of course, the rest of it is so cute that I might just use it and then discuss a bit afterwards about what else could make a grumpasaurus feel better besides gifts.

[Becky B · Rating 2 out of 5]

A handbook for dealing with the dreaded Grumpasaurus.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure I agree with Hemingway's method of dealing with Grumpasauruses. He seems to be promoting the "give them what they want so they'll stop the temper tantrum" rather than having the Grumpasaurus initiate the change of heart. It's a funny book if you don't analyze it too much.

[Cuddle Spike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this. Enjoyed the "science guidebook" style with the label and explanation of key terms. The cat was a great surrogate for the reader/explorer. And the reveal that the kid (perhaps you the reader) is the reader is the grumpasaurus.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! For those who feel that the repaired bear is a gift, it’s not. It symbolizes the lesson that knowing that something that is upsetting can be repaired and that being upset isn’t the only emotion to feel when something isn’t to your liking.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining story about a child – that the reader will not realize is a child until the end – who turns into a grumpasaurus when things aren’t going well. Great story and fun illustrations.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for an average book. I feel like there are similar ones out there that are just a wee-bit better. This one is particularly good for boys or a dino-loving girl.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this book is about me... lol

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will show them!