Grump

by Janet S. Wong, John Wallace (Illustrator)

""Look how tired this Mommy is
Tired and frumpy
Grouchy chumpy
Oh, what a grump!""
Then, for contrast,

""Look at Baby
Smart, good Baby
Happy Baby.""

Baby loves to make gravy out of applesauce and ketchup and, when it's just right -- not too lumpy, not too bumpy -- suddenly, DUMP! It goes on Baby's head. Will Baby take a nap now? Mommy puts Baby gently into the crib. But when Mommy starts to tiptoe out, Baby cries and whimpers, cries and whimpers. So Mommy reads to Baby -- and reads and reads until...guess what!

The surprise ending of this beguiling picture book will delight the very young -- and their tired but loving mothers. Janet Wong, a well-known poet, reflects on not only her own but every mother's experience in her rollicking rhyme. The bright watercolors of John Wallace, an English artist whose work is published both in the United Kingdom and the United States, complement the text to perfection.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Janet S. Wong was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in Southern and Northern California. As part of her undergraduate program at UCLA, she spent her junior year in France, studying art history at the Université de Bordeaux. When she returned from France, Janet founded the UCLA Immigrant Children's Art Project, a program focused on teaching refugee children to express themselves through art.

After graduating from UCLA, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in History and College Honors, Janet then obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was a director of the Yale Law and Technology Association and worked for New Haven Legal Aid. After practicing corporate and labor law for a few years for GTE and Universal Studios Hollywood, she made a dramatic career change—choosing to write for young people instead. Her successful switch from law to children’s literature has been the subject of several articles and television programs, most notably an O Magazine article, a "Remembering Your Spirit" segment on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and the Fine Living Channel’s "Radical Sabbatical."

Janet's poems and stories have been featured in many textbooks and anthologies, and also in some more unusual venues. Poems from Behind the Wheel have been performed on a car-talk radio show. "Albert J. Bell" from A Suitcase of Seaweed was selected to appear on 5,000 subway and bus posters as part of the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority's "Poetry in Motion" program, and was later highlighted on the Hallmark Channel’s "New Morning" show. And, in April 2003, Janet was one of five children’s authors invited to read at The White House Easter Egg Roll.

Janet and her books have received numerous awards and honors, such as the International Reading Association's "Celebrate Literacy Award" for exemplary service in the promotion of literacy, and the prestigious Stone Center Recognition of Merit, given by the Claremont Graduate School. Janet also has been appointed to two terms on the Commission on Literature of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Janet currently resides near Princeton, NJ, with her husband Glenn and her son Andrew.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good piece of poetry for use of repetition. Might work well in a young reader's classroom setting. Nicely done. Might also be a pleasant lullaby.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells a story of an extremely tired and grumpy mama. With all that we have going on in our lives right now, I’ve been too much of both. Our youngest recently asked when I would be less grumpy, and I just had to share this book with them.

Ms. Wong masterfully combines her rhyme scheme, onomatopoeia, and the way in which the font shows the volume and enthusiasm (or lack thereof) of the words to create a magical and touching story that speaks as much to the mother (if not more so) as it does to the child.

And the ending is oh, so sweet - perfect for a cuddle on the couch. The watercolor illustrations are colorful and cartoonish, with a lot of white space around the images. They complement the style, emotions and pacing of the story/poem nicely, although I seemed to detect a few disconnects in the expression of emotion on some pages.

Overall, even though this is a book that our girls would consider far too baby-ish, I am glad that I picked it out. We really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Taylor Brune · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great book for PK and K students. There story uses adjectives and rhyming words and would be great for students learning to read. The story is about a mom that is grumpy because her baby keeps making messes. It was a very enjoyable read.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because I read a blog review that raved about it. Unfortunately, I just don't get it. Harriet You'll Drive Me Wild is essentially the same story, but much more appealing to kids. This seemed more like a "mom book" to me.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 1 out of 5]

That's right, kids, your mother is a sh*t except when she's asleep.

[skcocnaH · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Mom seems like she needs some kind of medicine.
I know rhyming was involved, but who gently “dumps” a baby in a crib? That just sounds wrong.
Also, they called her frumpy. Really?

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very tired and slightly grumpy Mommy falls asleep before Baby at naptime.