Grimwood

Grimwood #1

by Nadia Shireen

Perfect for fans of Mr Gum and The Animals of Farthing Wood , this hilarious, irreverent series from picture book superstar Nadia Shireen follows two urban foxes who escape to the wonderfully weird forest of Grimwood!After a run-in with the scariest street cat in the Big City, fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy flee for Grimwood , expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside.Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and an absurd game called Treebonk! While Ted quickly falls in love with his wacky new neighbours, Nancy thinks they’re all bonkers. But she soon discovers that, as kooky they are, the animals of Grimwood always look out for each other.Now Nancy must ask herself an important yes, Grimwood may be weird, but could it also be . . . home?Grimwood marks Nadia Shireen’s first foray into young fiction. She is the award-winning author-illustrator of Good Little Wolf (Jonathan Cape), and the illustrator of the hotly anticipated Slug in Love (Simon & Schuster).PRAISE FOR NADIA'Shireen’s latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today... Sensational.' - The Observer

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Humor, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Graphic Novels, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2021

About the author

Nadia was always destined for a career in illustration—as a child, she would doodle on her exercise books, while as a student she would doodle on her law degree notes. Then, when working as a journalist in London for pop music bible Smash Hits, she would doodle all the time on anything. The good people at Smash Hits didn’t fire her for doodling furry animals - instead they let her leave early to go to evening classes in illustration.

This was followed by a MA at the prestigious Anglia Ruskin University. Drawing and writing for a living is very much Nadia’s dream come true and we expect great things from this promising new author and illustrator.

source: http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk/illu...

Reviews

[Dez the Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is full of unkind words, bad behavior, revenge, animal on animal cruelty (human personas) and violence. Would never let my kids read this, at ANY age. Such a HORRIBLE example of how to treat others.

This starts off cute enough with orphan foxes (well that’s kinda sad), and we learn that the young sibling foxes have a feud with the neighborhood cats. Ok, I can hang with that…what I can’t hang with is the name calling hurling insults, threats of physical violence and then the ACTUAL violence. In the process of this fued, the cat “looses” (by way of the fox) her tail and it gets nailed to the wall of the foxes den. Then the appendage is used to tease the cat and ultimately distract the cat while a bird comes down and decapitates said cat. WHAT?! WHY?!

Do NOT Recommend!!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silly, heart-warming fun. I can’t wait to read this to my y3 class. Loads of ‘voices’ to create, too.

[Simon Pressinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made me laugh and, god knows why but it made me cry too. Grimwood is a brilliantly bonkers book. Two urban foxes, Nancy and Ted, are driven out of their haunts by a greedy, malicious cat called Princess Buttons. Nancy and Ted are siblings, who've been living alone since their parents disappeared -- but young Ted still writes to them when he can. Presumably Nancy, his protective elder sister, sends them texts on her phone. (Fact check: foxes can write.) Both find themselves in Grimwood, a gloriously silly place filled with community spirit and mishap. The mayor is a stag and there are squirrels at constant war with each other, playing a serious arborial sport called treebonk -- basically, you bash into a tree and have to keep boinging onto the next tree, and then the next, as many times as you can without touching the ground, all the while yelling TREEEBOOOOONK! Nancy and Ted take refuge here until they feel safe enough to return to the city. Having written many poems about loneliness, Ted makes his first ever friend, a little bunny called Willow, who detests been called "cute". It's a really good book and the illustrations are great. I also like the random woodlouse called Eric Dynamite who keeps popping up to say something random about the story. Eric's a bus driver, which I feel is a good profession.

[Єлізавета Максименко · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це кумедно)

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pas mal, c'est marrant j'ai eu quelques rires, devrait plaire aux enfants dès 9 ans

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a completely bonkers story, which was very madcap and slightly missing on a good, solid plot. There is some violence (not all of which is intended), and there are times when younger children will more than likely find the comedy. For me, it was a little bit too silly and I would have liked the moral, or message, to come through stronger.

[Siro Álvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pareceume un libro moi divertido. Podes estar tranquilo porque non vas a perder a cabeza (tela pegada ao corpo).

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

seda kiideti kui erakordselt naljakat raamatut, aga ma ei naernud kordagi. midagi vastumeelset siin ka polnud, aga lihtsalt ei olnud sedasorti huumor, mis mulle nalja teeks, ja ma ei saa p2riselt aru, millistele t2iskasvanud inimestele teeb. lihtsalt yks selline lasteraamat, mis ongi lastele m6eldud ja loodetavasti neil on tore.

k6nelevad loomad ja ohtralt leebemapoolset fyysilist v2givalda.

mul l2ks lugemiseks n2dal, sest igav oli, v6i noh, kordagi ei hakanud huvitav, et mis edasi saab, nii et ma... ei viitsin ud lehte keerata suurem osa ajast.

[Elena Mejías Sánchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia sobre la amistad, empezar desde cero y quitarse el miedo caracterizada por un zorro y una zorra hermanos que llegan nuevos a Grimwood huyendo de una gata abusona. Lo que en principio parece solo una huída, acaba por convertirse en su nuevo hogar junto a animales muy locos y acontecimientos de lo más locos.

A mi hija de 8 años le ha gustado muchísimo, se ha reído mucho con las situaciones locas de los protas.

[Christina]

This was so weird and fun but also sometimes really morally grey and a little gruesome? I don't know if i would recommend this at age 6 or 7... more like 10.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best kids book I've read in a long, long time. I mean, it's straight up one of the funniest books I've ever read.

Grimwood had all of us in tears of laughter night after night. Pitched as middle grade but is perfect to be read to 5+ as well, it'll find pride of place on the bookshelves of fans of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken, Mr Gum, Roald Dahl and many more. A revelation of dark humour and big heart. Absolutely loved it.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sibling fox cubs Ted and Nancy live in the Big City, fending for themselves after their parents disappeared. Nancy is older and kind of bossy, but Ted loves her dearly. Then one day, they have a run in with a pampered pet cat, Princess Buttons who refuses to share the scrumptious chicken dumpster they get their meals from with them. To make matters worse Ted mistakes her tail for a hot dog and all mayhem ensues. Soon Ted and Nancy are fleeing from their home and find themselves in Grimwood where everyone seems super nice. Nancy is kind of skeptical about Grimwood, the residents seem kind of weird. But Ted, whose been ever so lonely finds himself a new friend, Willow the bunny. Just as they start to settle into their new home, Princess Buttons tracks them down, threatening to use the Brain Zapper 3000 on our two cubs. With a little help from their new friends, Ted and Nancy develop a plan to bring Princess Buttons down.

Grimwood makes for an amusing read as long as you don't mind some silliness, animals doing bad things (two animals are decapitated and one has their tail severed) or animals being placed in dangerous situations (stuck in quicksand). The black and white illustrations are sprinkled throughout the story and will appeal to younger readers, and who doesn't enjoy a fluffy bunny character? Even the thieving eagle, dramatic duck, badger driving a jeep and squirrels playing Treebonk make the story even that much more fun to read. There's also Eric Dynamite, a woodlouse who interjects himself into the story from time to time. Sometimes to add levity or comment on events. Give this to a reader who enjoys stories with wacky animal characters, hijinks, and ones who can tolerate the revenge plot, and danger. **A huge thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the E-ARC**

[Koen Verbrugge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superleuk - Een beetje spannend, een beetje grappig, een beetje triestig, maar het loopt goed af. Review van dochter Ella-Afia

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read, but I can’t quite put my finger on which students to recommend it to, My first and second graders could not get hooked - we even used it as a daily read aloud. It feels a little juvenile for fourth and fifth. Maybe I’ll try it with my own third grader this summer.

Grimwood is a fantastical concept and the quirky characters are certainly easy to love. The slapstick moments didn’t go over like I thought they would. Ted and Nancy are fox siblings trying to escape an evil cat that Ted has accidentally wronged. While the ending is satisfying, I’m still confused about what happened to their parents!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely nuts in a way that only Nadia Shireen is capable of. Shades of Mr. Gum here but this is less word-play funny and more 'madcap-moments'. Plenty of anthropomorphic silliness abounds when two sibling foxes set off to escape the evil shenanigans of the local cat bully. There's a plot in here somewhere but we're all far more fascinated in all the humour to be found. A great read aloud for children from Year 1 upwards.

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ridicules but heartfelt

It took awhile for me to buy into this, but I love a caper where all the forces in the neighborhood ban together to fight a greater evil. In this case a cat named Princess Buttons.

[watermelonreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be an unusual read but with the most loveable cast of characters. This will be perfect for the target audience because there’s a lot going on. For older readers, if you want a story with depth, you’re not gonna find it here. It felt really pointless too. But it’s a short and quick read so I would still recommend it.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

Loved the characters (even the naughty ones)

Lots of excitement and sticky situations

Tons of laughs

And a perfectly happy ending

Loved it.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abgebrochen auf Seite 50, war gewollt witzig (aber leider nur sinnlos und halt so gar nicht witzig und auch irgendwie echt unnötig brutal)

[Jenni Heins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and quirky. I think it might make a good read aloud for a younger group.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witzig, spannend - traf den Nerv des Publikums

[Billy Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it’s very adventurous and has lots of animals in it and I love animals. I love the bit when Ted meet Willow his bunny friend.5 stars

[Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ted and Nancy lived in a big city.

Nancy was the bravest and boldest fox Ted had ever known. He couldn't remember having a mum or a dad, but he had always had Nancy. She made sure he had food and somewhere warm to sleep.

Nancy was TOUGH. She had no time for laughing or sniffing flowers or reading comics. But Nancy didn't need those things, oh no.

She preferred coffee. It kept her ALERT."

Grimwood is Kafka-meets-two-little-foxes in the woods. It's transgressive, anarchic, and not particularly PG. Honestly, it feels like the kind of book I'd have swooned over as a teenager - precisely because it skirts the edge between innocence and that's-not-done:

"'Oh, what a beautiful morning!' said Binky Snuffhauzen, whizzing open the curtains and beaming at the world outside his window. He felt like the happiest rat. He'd had a brilliant breakfast of pancakes topped with whipped cream, sliced bananas and lashings of golden syrup. Yesterday, his girlfriend Sonia, had told him she loved him. And he'd finally finished his thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle of an Eiffel Tower, which had taken absolute ages. Binky checked out his reflection in the mirror.

'Looking good, Binkster!' he said, giving himself the thumbs up. He was having a really good hair day, which is often difficult for a rat.

There was a FLUP sound by his front door, and Binky noticed that a letter had flopped onto his doormat. 'How exciting!' he squealed, because it was always fun to get post.

He put on his smartest hat and boots, stuffed the letter into his waistcoat pocket and opened the door of his cardboard box. He stepped out into the glorious sunshine and took a big, deep breath of fresh air.

'How I love living in wonderful Grimwood!' he said. 'It's just a perfect day! Nothing, but nothing, could go wrong on a day as beautiful as this.'

And he was just about to start whistling a cheerful song when his head was bitten off by a massive eagle."

Although we went into it blind, 6yo and I enjoyed this book. It is well written, occasionally funny, and beautifully illustrated. There is also a tangle of characters that need to be kept track of, a plot that's slightly lacking, and some really heavy themes that may surprise you.

For those of you who've watched the Gilmore Girls, there were moments where Grimwood strongly reminded me of a slightly murderous Stars Hollow - complete with a mayoral moose, theatrical duck, and hyperactive bunny.

I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this. Would the Gilmore Girls still feel cosy if Kirk had gotten his head shot off by a bazooka in season 3? Possibly? It's hard to say.

Either way, I commend the author for her skill and audacity in writing this.

When asked him whether he'd want to read the sequel, my son said: "I liked Grimwood, but not really. I liked Ted, he was fun, but Nancy was too teenager-y. And she was only 6 or 7. So that didn't make any sense."

⭐⭐⭐ from my son, ⭐⭐⭐ from me.

---

Previous read-out-loud reviews:
⮎ The Letter for the King (6 yo)
⮎ The Cat Who Came In off the Roof (6 yo)
⮎ Bodies Are Cool (6 yo)
⮎ The Ice Monster (6 yo)
⮎ The 1,000-year-old Boy (6 yo)
⮎ Buckle and Squash and the Monstrous Moat Dragon (6 yo)
⮎ Matilda (6 yo)

[Kara (bookishskippy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is one of the most hilarious read i have read this year for middle grade !
The fox is just a joker of the story! Well done for this Nadia!

Thank you so much for the arc #pansing in an exchange for an honest review.

[Alison Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant children’s book. Silly yet loveable characters, modern twists and craziness!
A story of a brother and sister who are foxes. The get in a scrape with a really horrible cat and have to leave town. They meet a whole new bunch of amusing friends and have an adventure.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you NetGalley for providing a digital copy for review.

Get ready for a rollicking good time in Grimwood!

Nancy and her younger brother Ted are two foxes living in the Big City. Everything is going ok until Ted mistakes the evil cat Princess Buttons’ tail for a juicy hot dog and takes a big bite. Now they are on the run from the evil leader of the local cat gang. They end up taking refuge in what they think is the peaceful countryside called Grimwood. There they encounter thieving birds, daring squirrels, dramatic ducks, and a whole host of other weird and loveable creatures.

Grimwood is a story about family, friendship, and absurdity that will have you laughing out loud no matter what your age. Fans of Roald Dahl and David Walliams will love this story. I can definitely see this being a favorite in my classroom. It will grab the attention of even the most reluctant readers.

[Vanne]

Humoristisch Boek met illustraties.

De vossen Ted en Nancy wonen in de stad. Nancy zorgt voor Ted terwijl ze wachten op de terugkeer van hun ouders. Maar de stadse katten pikken het niet meer langer dat de twee vossen uit dezelfde vuilnisbakken eten. Wanneer Ted per ongeluk de staart afbijt van de meest ijdele kat, moeten Ted en Nancy op zoek naar een nieuw plekje om te wonen. Grappig Engelstalig verhaal in goed leesbare grote letters met grijs-tint illustraties. Veel van de humor komt door misverstanden, woordgrappen en hak op de tak gebeurtenissen.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining audio, narrated with spirit, had an 11- and 5- year old engaged.

This was a little bit 'different'. We've loved Shireen's picture books (all of them) and saw her name on this and wanted to try a book for the older ages.

With regular interjections from Eric Dynamite (woodlouse) popping up and adding comments along the way, it's a story centred around two young foxes, brother and sister Ted and Nancy, parentless. But also gives us chapters from the perspectives of various animals around Grimwood, then brings the plots together.

And of course, there's the nefarious Princess Buttons, a cat who sounds cute but is anything but.

It doesn't really matter what the plot is, though the foxes are trying to keep out of the cat's way and must use any new friends they have to help them. The point is that it's a funny trip into an animal world of quirky silliness, with the narrator taking great pleasure in all the voices.

My eldest was following more closely than the younger, but both were clearly listening and asking questions about what was happening. I enjoyed Eric Dynamite and chuckled to myself at the wonderful selection of voices the one narration brings to the listener.

For ages 5-10.

[Fernweh_nach_Zamonien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skurrile, tierische Charaktere purzeln in ein kurioses Abenteuer. Vervollständigt durch sw Comic-Illustrationen.


Inhalt:

Ted und Nancy sind im Großen Park in der Großen Stadt aufgewachsen und schlagen sich auch ohne Eltern ganz gut.

Doch dann müssen die beiden Fuchsgeschwister nach einem Missgeschick eine Zeit lang untertauchen: Ted hat aus Versehen der oberfiesen Katze Prinzessin Pinöckel in den Schwanz gebissen.

Sie flüchten in den Grimmwald und statt Idylle und Ruhe erwarten sie dort echt schräge Bewohner. Zur Begrüßung wird Nancy von einem diebische Adler erst einmal das Handy geklaut.

Doch eigentlich sind alle ganz nett ... aber sonderbar: Ted begegnet einem zuckersüßen Häschen, das ausflippt, wenn man es als niedlich bezeichnet, einer alternden Ente und ehemaligen Schauspieldiva und er muss Dachsen ausweichen, die im Jeep durch den Wald brettern.

Nun hat Ted endlich Freunde gefunden und wird sogar Teil einer Show im Grimmwald, da steht plötzlich eine vor Wut schäumende Prinzessin Pinöckel vor ihnen ...


Altersempfehlung:

etwa ab 9 Jahre


Illustrationen:

Der Bildanteil ist sehr hoch und für Lesemuffel ein willkommener Ansporn.

Auf jeder Doppelseite findet sich eine schwarz-weiß Illustration (mal klein, mal halb- und sogar ganzseitig).

Die Gestaltung der Tiere - insbesondere die der Fuchsgeschwister - und die schlichte aber effektvolle Mimik ist einfach nur herrlich und man muss unweigerlich schmunzeln.

Die lustige Verrücktheit der Bewohner von Grimmwald wird auch in den Illustrationen immer wieder deutlich.


Mein Eindruck:

Mit viel Humor und Energie werden Teds und Nancys verrückte Abenteuer im Grimmwald geschildert.

Die Assel Erik Dynamit kommentiert und ergänzt die turbulente Handlung. Immer wieder spricht sie Lesende direkt an und sorgt so für ein abwechslungsreiches Leseerlebnis.

Die Kapitel sind kurz und die Handlung überschaubar und trotz ihrer Verrücktheiten simpel gehalten.

Das Abenteuer punktet hauptsächlich mit den kuriosen Charakteren.

Nancy ist obercool (mit Ohrring, Handy und "N"-Anhänger am Hals) und hat ordentlich Feuer und Temperament. Das quirlige Fuchsmädchen ist erfrischend direkt und wird zum Tier, wenn es um die Sicherheit ihres kleinen Bruders geht. Dabei muss Ted gar nicht in Watte gepackt werden, denn er ist ein pfiffiger Kerl und auf der Suche nach einem besten Freund.

Nebenfiguren wie umher springende Eichhörnchen im Sportdress beim "Baumboink", ein Hirsch als Bürgermeister im rostigen Campinganhänger oder Frösche auf dem Sprung zur Date Night machen das turbulente Abenteuer noch verrückter.

Die tierischen Charaktere sind im positiven Sinne vermenschlicht, können sprechen und der Leser kann sich sehr leicht in sie hineinversetzen.

Das Abenteuer ist humorvoll und spannend erzählt, man kann prima mitfiebern und wird von Beginn an in ein turbulentes Abenteuer hineingezogen.


Fazit:

Ein außergewöhnliches und total schräges Abenteuer.

Wortwitz, Comic-Elemente und eine lockere Erzählweise sorgen für ein unterhaltsames Lesevergnügen.


...

Rezensiertes Buch: "Grimmwald: Teds und Nancys total verrücktes Abenteuer" aus dem Jahr 2023

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silliness, adventure, friendship, and all sorts of unexpected mishaps and moments create tons of ridiculous humor with animals to root for.

Ted and Nancy are sibling foxes, who lived in the city until a very obnoxious Princess Buttons (spoiled-to-the-max-cat) forces them to move to the Grimwood forest and stay out of her sight. Luckily, the great outdoors isn't quite as grim as its name. Although they're off to a rough start, have tons to discover, and are still running from a ridiculous cat, Ted and Nancy are in for all sorts of excitement...in the most unexpected ways.

While this is a book with all sorts of animals, it is by no means a book just for animal fans. There is snappy dialogue, hilarious back-and-forths, edge-of-the-seat tension, and even heart. It's wacky and yet, holds so much more as Ted and Nancy have to deal with all sorts of situations around them, while also battling usual sibling problems. The other creatures add everything from help to irritation to threatening moments, and each of these has a very distinct personality, which pops off the page. And that with a guarantee of constant laughs and snorts.

The illustrations add to the humor and are sprinkled in generously. While the first pages had me wondering if it will be carried by illustrations, this is a true chapter book with tons of visual fun. The text sticks at a reading level, which requires a surety of words and strengthens vocabulary here and there. It's a read to enjoy and launches off the series in the right way. I received a complimentary copy and was surprised by how much adventure accompanies the humor.