Grandfather’s Wrinkles

Written by Kathryn England

Illustrated by Richard McFarland

A Bank Street Best Children’s Book for 2008 for Outstanding Merit

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A heartwarming book filled with family love. Lucy calls her grandfather’s face “crinkly.” Granddad laughs and tells Lucy that those wrinkles come from smiling many times. Lucy asks for specifics and Granddad remembers a special smile to go with each wrinkle: one when he married Grandma, one when Lucy’s Mommy was born, one when funny things happened to Mommy, one when Mommy married Daddy, and, of course, two big ones on either side of his mouth when Lucy was born.
Very realistic, colorful paintings are rich with detail and bring life to Granddad’s fondest memories. Spreads of Lucy and Granddad alternate with spreads depicting the memory he describes.The illustrations are very lifelike and the illustrator names the people who were models for him.

Great class read aloud or, since the reading level is third grade, students could read to younger classes. This book could be a model for those third grade classes that do biographies and follow up with a literacy activity of writing their personal biographies. They could do a project where they record all the happy events of their parents’ and/or their grandparents’ life, like Granddad does with his wrinkles. The book could be used in art class for a portrait lesson, especially since the book has paintings of Granddad and Grandma at different stages of their lives. Other activities are on the publisher’s website: (http://www.flashlightpress.com/grandfatherswrinkles.html). A really charming book.

  • GrandfatherTITLE: Grandfather’s Wrinkles
  • AUTHOR: Kathryn England
  • ILLUSTRATOR: Richard McFarland
  • PUBLISHER: Flashlight
  • REVIEWER: Risa Brown
  • EDITION: Hardcover, 32 p.
  • ISBN: 978-0-97292259-3

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