Title: What Is Grandpa Up to Now?
Author: Lucy Geddes
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 978-1-6698-2539-5
Pages: 39
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Carol Davala
Pacific Book Review
Author Lucy Geddes’ children’s book What Is Grandpa Up to Now? takes a delightful look at all the opportunities for teaching and learning when a youngster spends time with their family elders.
Here, through a straight forward and easy to follow narrative, grandson Colton tells the story of his Grandpa providing help and knowledge when his Mom and Dad are busy. Whether adjusting a bicycle seat, getting a stuck drone off a rooftop, or demonstrating the art of building a perfect campfire, Grandpa’s MacGyver-type actions always prove welcome problem-solving assists.
Geddes’ story features this involved family elder sharing his innate abilities to rock a fussy baby to sleep, or make it laugh. Fun overnights at the Grandparents’ house often involve practical joker Grandpa, flicking the lights on and off while Grandma tells a bedtime story, showing the kids how to make homemade ice cream, or describing to the grandchildren the years when their own parents were young. Clearly the elder’s teachings and wisdom have made an impression on these youngsters, as they in turn are quick to apprise Grandpa of approaching danger near the book’s end, in order to remove him from harm’s way.
Illustrations provided by artist Windel Eborles easily corresponds to the storyline with the use of a solid and bright color palette. Character nuances come through in the visual details from the cover image of a fun-loving, gray-haired, mustachioed Grandpa giving a wink, or the worried facial expressions of the young family members when their campsite is visited by a mother skunk and her kits, to the wild plaid PJs worn by Grandpa, that make him seem like one of the grandkids. Though this is primarily a tale about Grandpa, since Grammy’s participatory efforts are acknowledged in the storyline, her visual presence would have been a nice addition. In a modern-day finale, Geddes invites readers to share lessons they’ve learned from their own Grandpa, via postings on Facebook or Instagram.
In recent times, with more and more generations of families residing under one roof, this is a well-paced, informative book, ideally to be shared by a new young reader and an elder family member. With its multitude of lessons about fixing items and solving problems, helping others, respecting nature, being patient, having fun, and learning new things, the final takeaway reinforces the importance of family connections and the true value of knowledge and experience passed between generations.
