Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus: Edward Hemingway

Book: Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus
Author: Edward Hemingway
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-7

Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus by Edward Hemingway is an engaging little picture book about a grumpy little monster. Adult readers will anticipate the ending (in which the monster is turned by the power of a smile into a little boy), but my six-year-old seemed to take the story literally. The Grumpasaurus pouts and stomps about, scaring away the cat and occasionally roaring. 

I feel like this may be a book that will appeal more to parents of toddlers than to kids themselves. But I think there's a humor in it for older siblings, too, who will recognize the grumpy behaviors of others, even if they deny ever behaving like that themselves. 

Hemingway's dry humor worked for me. Like this:

"Sometimes called Grumpelstiltskin or the Great Grumpsby, the Grumpasaurus can live anywhere, and is most often seen sulking around the room after a great tragedy or mishap. Such as... 

... a broken toy."

This passage shows the Grumpasaurus, arms folded, mouth turned down, watched apprehensively by the cat, while on the facing page, a teddy bear's arm dangles by a thread. The Grumpasuarus's posture will be familiar to parents everywhere. (And although not stated, I believe that the cat may be responsible for the broken teddy bear.)

Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus sticks to the field guide theme. The inside pages are lightly lined, like a notebook, with faux-spiral visible in the middle. The opening illustration of the Grumpasaurus features call-outs pointing to various features, like "Its angry eyes don't blink" and "Not sure why, but it's got a tail!". Later in the book there is a yellow warning signal, when the Grumpasaurus is forced to do something it doesn't want to do (following storm clouds over a bathtub). 

Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus is cute and funny and true to the moods of a grumpy toddler. While kids will likely not recognize themselves in the Grumpasaurus, parents and older siblings will find much to chuckle about. I could also see this book inspiring kids to create their own field notebooks, making it a potentially good book for classroom use. This is one that we'll be keeping to read again at home. 

Publisher: Clarion Books for Young Readers (@HMHKids) 
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

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