George's Store

by Frank Asch, Bernard Wiseman (Illustrator)

George and his parrot Pete are usually successful at guessing what their customers want until the day an unusual lady walks into their store.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

46 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1983

About the author

Frank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.

Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.

Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.

He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.

Reviews

[Ashley Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

George’s store is about a boy who grew up living in the back of his parent’s store. When George is older, he opens his own store just like his parents did. George and his parrot spend each day at the store guessing what each customer will buy. They are sometimes right and sometimes wrong. When one lady who comes in the store one day, George and his parrot cannot guess what she wants. She finally reveals that what she wants is actually George. The woman and George end up getting married and raising a family in the back of a store, just like how George was raised.

The overall theme of George’s Store is that love is everlasting and works out in the end. Also, to never judge a book by its cover.

When I read this book, I felt a sense of suspense because I did not know what each customer would buy. In the end, I was super happy that George was raising his family in the same place that his parents raised him.

I would recommend this book because I think it shows an important lesson on not to judge a book by its cover. George and his parrot didn’t know what the lady in the red dress would buy, but in the end, it was George. The love George had for his parents is so strong that he decides to raise his family in the same place that his parents raised him, in the back of his store. It was a very heart warming story that shows the love between a family.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute story about a boy who grows up in the back of his parent's grocery store. When the boy grows up he opens his own store (not sure why he didn't just inherit the family business). His name is George and he owns a parrot. George and the parrot try and guess what each customer wants based on their appearance (I think this is called profiling nowadays). But then a woman comes in with a parrot on her shoulder and insists that she wants George! So they marry and have a handful of children (yikes!). My rating - 2/5

[Cristina B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Frank Asch
Genre: Fiction, Children's picture books
Grade level: PK-2
It is a funny story for kids that challenges their critical thinking when read aloud. Pete the parrot provided the best details of the story- until the lady in the red dress came into the store!

[bananananas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was read this as a kid

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lot's of fun to read aloud when George is trying to guess what the lady in the red dress wants. Warning: may cause unrealistic expectations about romantic relationships (ha ha ha ha ha)

[Kiyoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this story during on-line first grade during the Covid-19 quarantine.

[Ashley Guerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad use to read this to me every night before bed.

[Becky Galambos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book where George and his parrot try to guess what everyone wants to buy.

[Becca shybookstagramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

my childhood favorite book. This is the book that made me fall in love with reading

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

a classic!

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad George and the unnamed women lived happily ever after, but this whirlwind romance of theirs could have gone horribly wrong.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty funny little book! not many words on a page, but it is kind of long. it has some rhymes, but it's not a rhyming book. great family friendly ending.

[Ruthie Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was in rough shape even when I was a kid because I read it so much. I had a whole shelf of Frank Asch!

[Julia Maisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

George grew up living in the back of a grocery store with his parents. As a child, he often helped the store owner by helping to keep the store tidy. With a smile on his face, George even helped the customers get their groceries. This inspired him to open his own business as an adult, called George's Store. Before opening every day, George cleaned his store the same way he had growing up, this time with the help of his green and red parrot, Pete. The two of them liked to guess what each customer came to buy when they walked into the store. One day, a beautiful woman in a pink hat strolled into George's Store. Sitting on her left shoulder was a green and red parrot. As they failed to guess what she wanted to buy, George gave up and asked the customer what she wanted. Her answer changed George's life forever.

Overall, this is a fun book for children to read and enjoy a surprise ending. As Pete and George play their guessing game, the pages are filled with silly rhyming words. Each illustration is in the frame of either a square or a circle. When George initially meets the woman, the pictures of her are framed in squares. This represents the stability of George's life and how simple it is. When George's life changes dramatically, the images of he and the lady are framed in circles. This represents endlessness. The illustrator, Bernard Wiseman, did an excellent job creating fun images that helped to develop the message of the story. This book is a light and enjoyable read for children.

[Savannah Schneider · Rating 1 out of 5]

"George's Store" is a children's book about a boy named George, who lived in the back of his parent’s grocery store. George grew up and got his own store where he and his parrot would guess what people were going to buy. One day a lady in a red dress came in and they couldn't guess what she wanted. They tried to guess over and over, but they couldn't get it right. What she wanted was George, so they got married and raised a family in the back of George’s store. I didn't really like this book, mostly because it’s a children's book and I am not a child.

George is the main character of this story. He is a brown haired boy with a funny looking mustache. He grew up helping out at his parent’s store, so eventually he got his own where he would hang out with his parrot and guess what people wanted.

The setting takes place in George’s parents’ store, and then his own when he gets one. It doesn't say what time this story took place, but I’d assume it’s more recent.

The theme of “George’s Store” is that you can’t always guess what you really want until it shines before your eyes. George didn't know he wanted to be with the lady in the red dress until she showed up and told him she wanted him.

I would recommend this book to children in elementary school, because it is a children’s book. There’s not many words on a page and there’s a lot of pictures. I didn't like it, but children would find it fascinating, especially with the pictures.

[Megan Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An all-time favorite!