A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 110

Picture Book: Grandpa Green

Author & Illustrator: Lane Smith

Summary: This exquisite picture book is a celebration of a life in topiary. Important events in the life of the narrator’s Great-Grandfather, aka Grandpa Green, are creatively rendered with sculptured gardening. The milestones (and sculptures) begin with Grandpa Green’s birth on a farm. He gets the Chicken Pox (a child’s face of leaves with berries for spots!), steals a kiss, goes to war, marries a French waitress, and “had kids, way more grandkids, and a great-grandkid like me.” Now aged and forgetful, Grandpa Green continues to nurture the topiaries with help from the narrator whose pride in Grandpa Green’s artistry never waivers, not even when searching for Grandpa Green’s hat among the leaves.

Hanna’s Comments: I couldn’t help but think of Father Abraham as I read this beautiful book. God promises Abraham that he will be a blessing to his countless generations just as Grandpa Green has blessed his descendants.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Roaring Book Press, 2011

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Yes

Formats other than Book: Tablet, Audible, Amateur videos on Youtube.com

PBT Category: Award Winner (Caldecott Honor), Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: abilities, aging, ancestors/patriarchs & matriarchs, art, call/calling/vocation, creativity/imagination/ingenuity, gardening/planting/pruning/sowing, gifts/giftedness/talents, grandparents, growing up/growth, individuality/uniqueness, life, memories/remembering/ritual/tradition, milestones, passion, purpose, vision

Scripture Connections: All the nations shall be blessed in Abraham (Genesis 18:18); God promises to multiply Abraham’s offspring as the stars of heaven and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children when talking about Abraham and his many descendants.