Grandpa baby by Margaret Wild.
Ill. by Deborah
Niland.
Penguin/Viking, 2009. ISBN 9780670071746.
(Age 2-7) Recommended. Grandpa looks after Georgie
while Mum
and dad are working. They make sand
castles,
read stories and plant flowers. One morning Georgie decides that she is
going
to be big and that Grandpa can be the baby. Off to the park they go,
with
Georgie holding onto Grandpa Baby's hand and giving him instructions on
how to
play.
This is a classic 'switch' story where the child gets to imagine what
it is
like to be in an adult's shoes. Georgie makes a great adult, looking
after
Grandpa Baby when he hurts himself and refusing to allow him to swing
too high.
She works out strategies to get him home
when he is tired and puts him to bed for a rest. She also has a
wonderful
imagination and decides on a fabulous dress-up game for the following
day.
Delightfully illustrated by Deborah Niland, the little chimps come
alive in
gorgeous colour. Their facial expressions are really expressive of
their moods.
Observant readers will notice what happens to the dummy, and will be
engrossed
in the little domestic details that illustrate the story.
I loved this book. It left me with a smile on my face and would make a
lovely
read aloud with pictures for young children to gloat over.
Pat Pledger