Grumbelina by Esther Krogdahl

Illus. by Aleksandra Szmidt. Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781869714291.
Recommended. I feel like the book Grumbelina, by Esther Krogdahl was written about my daughter! The similarities are far too easy to spot . . .
Hazel Spratt grew to be a happy, well mannered child who was a true joy to her parents. Then one day when she turned three-and-a-half things took a turn for the worst and she turned into Grumblelina! The girl who was suddenly grumpy, irritable, whingey, and whiney! She did not want to play, and everything was just not right. Her parents exhaust all the strategies they knew to make her happy but, in the end, they just seem to give up. Suddenly Grumblelina disappears and back comes their lovely Hazel! She hugs them and smiles and gets tucked into bed . . . but Grumblelina is not gone for good yet!
So many parents can identify with their three-year olds' mood swings and the fact that they just cannot get anything right. Esther Krogdahl does a great job of sharing this well-known story through rhyme and with the edition of Aleksandra Szmidt's illustrations it turns in to a wonderful picture book. The illustrations are my favourite as they really show the facial expressions of Hazel which I know so well from my own feisty daughter. I feel a page worth sharing which sums up the twists and turns of a 3-year-old is this 'She grumbled about that and grumbled about this. She screamed "Go away!" then demanded a kiss'. The author really captured so much in these two sentences, and I love every bit of it!!
This is a funny picture book that will entice both young listeners and parents alike. 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain