My Friend Grandpa

Author: Harriet Ziefert
Illustrator: Robert Wurzberg
Title: My Friend Grandpa
Publisher: Blue Apple Books, 2004
Genre: Picture Book
Pages: 40
Reading Level: grades K-3
I found this book in the children’s section of the library.

Plot Summary: Emma lives in a city, but every summer gets to visit her Grandpa in the country. While staying there for a month, she enjoys spending time with him and a big tree in the yard. She spends a lot of time sitting by the tree and swinging on a swing, hanging from one of its branches. One night there is a thunderstorm and the tree falls down after. Grandpa tells Emma that he will have to take the tree out of the yard. Emma is upset, but Grandpa says he will try to save a part of the tree. He ends up saving the best part, a hole in the trunk that Emma can climb into!

Emma loves her Grandpa. In the story, Emma loves to visit her Grandpa for a month every summer. She has friends in the city, but in the summer likes to spend time with Grandpa. She climbs the tree and can’t get down, and her Grandpa rescues her. When the tree falls down, Emma’s Grandpa promises to save the best part. This story shows a strong relationship between a girl and her grandfather. This element of the story is what categorizes the book as one that fits my theme, relationships.

I enjoyed reading this story. It reminded me of my Grandpa and his house in many ways. I have a close relationship with my grandfather, just like Emma. He even has a big tree in his yard. A big, sturdy branch holds a swing that he made for my brothers and me to use. I can remember him pushing me on the swing when I was little. He could never push me as high as I wanted to go! I can imagine how upset Emma felt when the tree came down. I know that I would have been upset if that tree in his yard had come down!

My Friend Grandpa would be a nice book to read aloud to young children. They may be able to relate to the story and think about a grandparent that they love. I would use this book in my classroom, but would be sensitive to the fact that not all of my students may have a close relationship with a grandparent, if one at all. Students may be able to predict what Grandpa and Emma may do with the rest of the tree trunk.