Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Gus and Grandpa

Gus and Grandpa

Claudia Mills
Illustrator:   Catherine Stock 
Fiction  Series
For ages 5 to 7
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999   ISBN: 978-0374428471

Gus loves to go and visit his grandfather. There are so many wonderful things to do at Grandpa's house, simple yet special things. There is the ditch to jump over again, Skipper the dog to play with, shopping trips to go on, and much more. Best of all there is Grandpa with his gentle and often funny ways.

The author of this charming little book beautifully succeeds in showing us the closeness of the relationship between Gus and his grandfather, the comfortable nature of their relationship, and the ways in which they enjoy one another's company. She does this with short sentences and simple language, which makes the story very accessible to early readers. At the same time, she introduces early readers to chapters, giving them several Gus and Grandpa stories to enjoy in one volume.