The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude

by Tricia Goyer, Amy Parker, Mónica de Rivas (Illustrator)

Are you trying to teach your family about gratitude? The Grumbles are here to help . . . they just don't know it yet!

The Grumble family tried not to complain but bills and laundry and sibling squabbles kept everyone rumbling. When Grandma Grateful comes for a visit, things change. Bestselling authors Tricia Goyer and Amy Parker team up to spread an attitude of gratitude. 

The Grumbles teach children:
how to approach life with a gracious mindset
about core Christian values
how to seek out the goodness in everything and identify blessings
This picture book is perfect for:
ages 4 to 8
a classroom story time focused on thankfulness, kindness, or gratitude
reading aloud together as a bedtime story
birthdays, holiday gift giving, or as an addition to your home library
The Grumbles is a sweet, simple, and silly story about how to turn grumbles into gratefulness.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Christian, Fiction, Storytime, Thanksgiving

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 2021

About the author

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

Reviews

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all know how I feel about good children's books. Well, this one is a keeper!

The story is quite simple, but it strikes a chord of truth. It's such an encouraging read and it's super relatable! We all get the grumbles sometimes! I love how each incident is so down to earth. The Grumbles feel like a real family that gets it. Life is messy and unexpected and hard sometimes. We lose our patience, feel disappointments, and get annoyed. It happens.

But this little gem is a beautiful reminder to find contentment and peace in our everyday lives. Life isn't suddenly going to be all sunshine and rainbows, but we can choose to change our outlook and be grateful.

This story packs a punch for such a little thing. It's funny, riddled with truth, and heartfelt. Also, the illustrations are wonderful! Highly recommend!!

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like that this book was religious. The book really should mention that in the actual book. I do see that on here it mentions Christian values, but inside the book jacket where it talks about the book summary blurb thing, it doesn't mention anything like that and I feel like it should. I did like the illustrations though, but I wasn't a fan of the story at all.

[Christina Dendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I love the illustrations. They're so much fun! Second, I adore the theme and the title that reflects it. Third, this was almost a five for me. Here's why it wasn't:

My 7yo son and I enjoyed reading this together, but I felt like it was a little adult-centric and simplistically didactic in its resolution, with Grandma showing up to save them all from their grumblies. The narrative reads really well, in a fun but lyrical way, and bookends nicely around the grumblies, Grandma's wisdom, and the gratefuls. I just would have liked to have seen more of a central role for at least one of the children in getting to that point rather than Grandma showing up, chiding them all, and bringing them around.

Also, here's the big thing that jumped out at me: part of the story trivializes very real concerns of millions of families in just the United States. The father's grumbles center on paying the water bill. There are probably plenty of grownups in families around the country and elsewhere who grumble more than they need to about bills given their earnings, but there are many more for whom making that bill payment is no small thing and cannot be easily dismissed as a grumble. The dad easily could have had a different grumble that still might have carried the implicit privilege of a family that has each other, a nice home, nice clothes and things, as shown in the illustrations, without explicitly making light of the reality of economic hardship endured by many households.

I believe all the good intentions in the world are present in this story. I'm calling attention to Dad's water bill complaint and Grandma smiling and laughing at it not to criticize but because I worry how it might feel to some readers. No one will love every story equally, sure, but I can't help wondering how that mom or dad or other caregiver who's really struggling to take care of things might feel if they pick up this book to read at bedtime only to have their struggles treated as something to be laughed off and dismissed. As noted above, I still celebrate the overarching message.

[Nanny Miss Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all get ‘the grumbles’ from time to time. It’s important we teach children that even when things don’t go our way, we must remember to be thankful for what we have. In the story of “The Grumbles” (Running Press Kids, 2021) we meet a family who despite being pretty endearing to one another, each has their own personal headaches. The negativity brings down the whole family.

Thankfully, Grandma Grateful visits and helps the Grumbles with a lesson about patience, thankfulness, and true happiness. Written by dynamic duo Tricia Goyer & Amy Parker, it’s a great way to teach younger children about being grateful even in circumstances that are beyond our control. The book is beautifully illustrated by Monica De Rivas, with diverse characters, amazing colors, and a style that embodies the sweetness of The Grumbles family.

[Abbie McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grumbles is a story about a family who grumbles a lot, they whine, pout, cry, stomp, and scowl when something doesn’t go their way or they have to do something they don’t want to. Until Grandma Grateful came to visit. She showed them how to make positives out of the negatives and be appreciative of what they have. Grandma was very grateful and showed her family lots of love. This helped the grumble family get along better and be more grateful. This is another story I think my young students could relate to. It teaches a really great lesson about being grateful for what you have. I would definitely have this in my classroom library and would even read it to my students if I find them being negative or complaint a lot.

[Alexis Fritz]

The Grumbles is about a family who isn't very grateful. Not until grandma comes over and shows them that they should be. Daddy has a job that pays for the bills, mama should love the dirty clothes because it shows her children playing, brother and sister should help each other out and be patient.

This shows the children that things can be tough and take time, but to be grateful that you have the ability to do what it is that you want to do.

This book has an interracial family. I think that's important to show, that every family doesn't look like everyone else.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moral of the story is very on-the-nose, but I think that's to be expected given the title. There is a Christian element to this story, with a quote from the New Testament at the start, the mention of God in one line of text, and the final scene is one of prayer. The best part of this book are the illustrations. The family is blended with various skins tones and I love to see that kind of representation in children's books.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

well said ......... ...
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing." -- Philippians 2:14

i try to do that, but i must admit i don't always do my best. but i keep trying. learning and growing each and every day. gorgeous illustrations. i did get this myself ...found it on Amazon for a cost and no shipping ...i would have to check but the cover says $12.99 ...i didn't pay that. but i am happy to read it and i will pass it along to other folks who wish to read it as well.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone in the Grumbles is unhappy, but Grandma Grateful helps turn things around by reminding everyone to be grateful. A short, simple story that can serve as a good reminder when everyone starts to get grumpy. It's a little too preachy for a storytime book, but it would be a good one for one-on-one.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty Pollyanna-ish.

Would go well with Thankful, although I think that book tells it better.

This book starts with a Bible version before the main text.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grumble's are a happy family, most of the time, but when the little things in life become unbearable, that's when they're not so happy, and begin to grumble. It takes a visit from grandma to remind them of how to show gratitude for what they have.

[Ann Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Great message!