After the rousing success of That’s NOT What Grandmas Are For, author Jenniffer Welliver continues her series of children’s picture books with That’s NOT What Grandpas Are For (Pacific Raven Press, 2011).
Grandpas is a 23-page children’s hardcover depicting various animal grandfathers engaging in activities that are NOT what grandpas are for. These include such undertakings as a dog duo (grandpa and grandchild) washing a car and a monk seal grandpa putting up Christmas lights while the baby monk seal lounges on the outside deck. Afterward the question is asked “what ARE grandpas for?” The book then proceeds to portray the fun things that grandpas are meant to engage in, including taking you fishing, surfing, and playing catch with.
One thing that was missing from the book that I would’ve liked to see is a list of the animals included in the illustrations—it’s fun for children (and myself) to identify exactly what those animals are and the funny human predicaments they’re portrayed as participating in. They did have brief definitions of the Hawaiian words used in the book at the very end, which is something I always appreciate in a keiki book.
The illustrations are interesting. Illustrator Stacy Comer seems to be a designer of cute clipart creations as the pages in this book appear to be a selection of clipart graphics arranged into various scenes. Reuse of the same image is common, as I noticed the exact same “I need a hug” monk seal in the book at least four times.
These pictures in aggregate could best be described as an early 80’s MTV cross between Devo and Peter Gabriel. The term, “80’s psychedelia” comes to mind in a few scenes, given the bright color palette and wild arrangements. While at first the artificiality of the illustrations seems a bit jarring, I admit that as someone who has “grown up” with Internet photo humor and South Park, these cutout patchwork scenes display a certain ironic charm that can be enjoyed by the jaded adult as well as a whimsical child—I resemble both of these character traits, by the way. I mean, who wouldn’t appreciate warthogs in Aloha shirts and hats mowing their lawn?
...and that's when the Maui Wowie kicked in.
As I’ve said about another similar geriatric children’s book, Ric Dilz’s My Grandma Could Do Anything in Hawaii, Welliver’s That’s NOT What Grandpas Are For does contain an important message for children to respect their kupuna. Grandparents aren’t meant to do our chores and complete our daily duties, they’re meant to teach us and spend leisure time with, whether in the form of a baseball game, kayaking or going together to a Hawaiian luau.
In addition to her children’s books, Jenniffer Welliver is also the author of Sip & Nibble™: How I Lost 120 Pounds.
[gn_divider]That’s NOT What Grandpas Are For
by Jenniffer Welliver
illustrated by Stacy Comer
Pacific Raven Press Publishing, 2011
Hardcover, 32 pages
ISBN: 978-0984122868
