Grumbelina by Esther Krogdahl explores the beautiful ups and downs that come with raising a toddler. Full of fun, this look into toddler tantrums is great for little readers. See what Aria and her mum thought about Grumbelina below ⬇️
Hazel Spratt was an agreeable child. Never impatient, unruly or wild.
But when Hazel turns three-and-a-half, her parents notice a change. She is no longer their polite and pleasant daughter, Hazel, she is now Grumbelina, ‘a grumpy child, so disgruntled yet small, with a list of complaints that could cover a wall.’ Settle down and relax for a moment, this humorous and delightfully illustrated picture book takes a tongue-in-cheek look at tantrums – perfect for every home.
Aria and her mum review Grumbelina
Living with a three and a half year old is a big challenge for most parents – the determination, stubbornness and fierce quest for independence that appears at that age is both a wonder and a frustration at the same time. Aria is a few months shy of turning four, so we have been learning how to handle all her demands and ever-changing moods for quite some time now, which is why the story of Grumbelina was so relatable – to both us and to her!
The story starts with Hazel Spratt as a lovely, patient and agreeable child who never causes any trouble, but when she turns three and half her parents notice a change in her. Suddenly, she’s not so polite and pleasant. She’s no longer Hazel Spratt, she’s Grumbelina, ‘a grumpy child, so disgruntled yet small, with a list of complaints that could cover a wall. ‘ This is a great description of life with a three and a half year old, because it’s very hard to get things right in the exact way that they want them! Now, Grumbelina will only eat peas with a hat on, and complains that her spaghetti is too thin and her apple too fat.
Nothing makes her happy, there is a problem with everything and she will only do things her way…or no way at all! If you’ve ever experienced a toddler tantrum, these themes will all feel very familiar to you.
Aria was intrigued by the beautiful illustrations and we talked about how Grumbelina must be feeling in each scenario which gave Aria the opportunity to explain why she sometimes does similar things, a great way to help her understand her emotions and reactions in a way that makes sense to her.
It turns out, Grumbelina is at her worst when she is tired and her parents eventually figure this out. They help her to calm down by breathing deeply and tucking her safely into bed for the night, in the hopes that in the morning Grumbelina will be gone and their happy daughter Hazel will be back.
This is a very entertaining bedtime read which we both thoroughly enjoyed – the engaging illustrations and rhyming sentences, along with Grumbelina’s humourous and silly demands made us both giggle. A must-have book for anyone with a toddler under their roof!
Grab your copy of Grumbelina now.
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