Could Be Worse!

I'm always looking for little stories that encourage my children to bounce back from the hits that life can dish out sometimes. This little book did that in a fun way. The little old grandpa has a "bounce back" attitude, he's got a great sense of humor, and he's going to pass it on to his grandchildren. After reading the book, my young daughter had fun making up her own version of the story and proclaiming over and over, "It could be worse!"

This is one of James Stevenson's cleverest and most outrageous books, even though it follows a familiar formula: Once again, grandchildren Mary Ann and Louie visit their unflappable "Grandpa" with a problem, and he tells them a tall tale to put things into perspective--albeit a very wacky perspective! The kids complain of a splinter, a lost kite, and a flat tire, and Grandpa responds each time with the seemingly boring "Could be worse..." The two grandchildren think that this nonresponsive reply is due to the boring life Grandpa leads. It's the perfect set-up for the signature Stevenson story, in which Grandpa matter-of-factly tells them about an incredible adventure he once had. (Often these stories involve his little brother Wainey, although he does not appear in this story). Grandpa, while eating breakfast with the kids, begins" "Last night, when I was asleep, a large bird pulled me out of bed and took me for a long ride [the reader turns the page] and dropped me in the mountains." In this same unflappable style, Grandpa weaves together a story that includes an abominable snowman, a scaly beast who crushes him, a blob of marmalade (!) who chases him, a gigantic ostrich who kicks him into the sea, an "enormous goldfish," a safe refuge in a large cup, a "gigantic lobster," and a sea turtle who rescues him. Finally, he discovers a giant newspaper upon which he flies back home. He asks the kids "Now what do you think of that?" On the last page, they hug him and shout: "COULD BE WORSE!" By the way, on the next page, young hands had written in pencil "it could." What's interesting here is how Stevenson's tone makes this all sound like it really happened, even though a dream is strongly implied. The vivid pictures (these are among Stevenson's best, he mixes rich pictures with other illustrations that display his more typical minimalist style), the detail, and the fun impossibility of it all make the reader "suspend" his or her incredulity. If you read enough of these books, these characters takes on a familiarity and warmth that make them seem like old friends. One other great Stevenson touch: The "dream" is populated by beings and items seen as Grandpa eats breakfast and begins his story: His newspaper, orange marmalade, coffee cup-even the "giant something-or-other" resembles his dog, and the sea turtle resembles his toast. Spotting these correlates is more fun and sophisticated then finding "Waldo," and the smile on the family's faces (including the dog, of course) makes this both a fun and an endearing book. While one should never write in a book that one doesn't own, the writing I found suggested strongly that Stevenson (a renowned illustrator for the New Yorker, and the author of many excellent kids' books) had once again captivated his audience. Look for his many other books as well!

I loved this book as a first grader and still do 26 years later. I could relate to the grandpa in the story - he seemed identical to mine. I enjoyed Stevenson's imagination and creativity and still appreciate the life message "could be worse" as an adult. Having read this book helped me through some of life's greatest challenges knowing that no matter how bad things seem, it truly COULD BE WORSE!!! They're words to live by! I now share this book with my first graders. It truly inspires their own creativity and opens up their minds. They too have learned that things could always be worse!

This book and "The Giving Tree" have always been 2 of my favorite children's books. The thing that makes them great is that the stories teach you valuable lessons at a very young age, that you never forget. I read this book in elementary school, and now at the age of 25 still think of it when things get bad, cuz they could ALWAYS be worse!!! My mom and I still refer to this book to this day, and now I'm buying it for my 5 year old nephew! I just hope he appreciates it as much as I do!!!

As a child, this was one of my favorite books. As an adult, working in a daycare, I became frustrated with the books available to me and the lack of imagination I saw in many of the children. I found a copy of this book in the library and began reading it to the children daily. It was not only an instant hit but in no time I began to hear stories from them of wild dreams and exciting fanticies. They were just as inspired as I had been at their age. This is truly a timeless and imaginative story with the unique ability to teach both optimism and creativity.