Gruff the Grump

Author: Steve Smallman

Illustrator: Cee Biscoe

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 26

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Year: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-56148-669-4

Now here’s a beautiful story with brilliant illustrations that make you want to frame up a couple of pages to hang on the wall.

This tender story about a grumpy bear discovering kindness and eventually, happiness in his lonely existence is bound to evoke feelings of empathy amongst young readers.

The story is narrated extremely well. It’s not poetry but you almost want it to be. Don’t be surprised if your children pick up a few sentences and repeat them like rhymes. But then, it isn’t a rhyme, either.

I must say, meaningful stories (for children) like this are rare and a find like this ought to be treasured.

Excerpt

Gruff was a bear.

A great big bear.

A great big, scowly, growly, grizzly grump of a bear.

He lived all alone in a musty, dusty old cave where nobody ever came to visit. The other animals hid when they saw him coming. They called him, ‘Gruff the Grump’.

“HUMPH!” went Gruff the Grump to show he didn’t care.