The Grump: The Original Short Story

Acknowledged, the "children's market" is huge, and the number of titles (that is, good titles) cranked out every month is overwhelming. That stated, Ludy's books may be worthy of "future classic" status - based on the artwork alone. The use of bright and playful color, depth, and warm old world imagery make this book (and Ludy's "The Farmer") delightful viewing. The story is a good moral story about compassion and kindness (same with "The Farmer"). As another commenter mentioned, the length of the book (that is, the number of words on every page) can look a little intimidating - particularly when you are tired and you were hoping for something in the range of Hop on Pop. But this is a consistent crowd-pleaser and worth the time.

This book seemed long when I considered it for my active 5 year old and I debated his ability to sit through it. He was hanging on my every word and was touched by the message sent by the book. This is not a silly story it is a tool to teach with. It is a life lesson that needs to be learned put to a beautiful story and the illustrations are wonderful! We went to the library today to get The Farmer also by Mark Ludy and I am sure it will be just as great! These are a great gift idea!

I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy of this book and I must say that the story is wonderful. The illustrations are some of the richest I have ever seen in a children's book. My favorite part of this book is how delightful searching for the mouse is. I understand that this is a signature illustration of Mr.Ludy's books and I must say after having handed this book around my work, the mouse is fun for children AND adults of all ages.