Written by Katrina Moore. Illustrated by Xindi Yan. Reviewed by Emily Richardson.

Daisy has been eagerly awaiting Yeh-Yeh’s visit from China, even preparing a list of everything she can’t wait to do together (have a tea party, build a snowman, drink hot chocolate!). When he finally arrives, however, Daisy is surprised to find Yeh-Yeh appears a bit less excited about the activities she’s planned for them than anticipated. Determined to make him smile, this heartwarming picture book tells a tale of connection across generations, with Daisy finding that sometimes the deepest love is visible when one looks just beyond a stern exterior.

This story would be ideal for the younger grades for a variety of purposes, whether in the course of discussing relationships with grandparents, providing some everyday representation for AAPI families, or as a mentor text for teaching students how to utilize onomatopoeia. Supported by bold and expressive illustrations, this book lends itself well to beginning readers who are learning to discern the plot from the pictures as well as the words, while demonstrating how love can transcend generation, culture, and language. For Daisy and Yeh-Yeh, food is the vehicle for their relationship-building and in the back matter of the book the author includes a recipe for the dish they bond over making together, chao fan.

This book also supports conversations with students about how to build and navigate relationships with people who speak language(s) other than those they speak, a useful concept to explore as we prepare children to respectfully and consciously navigate multicultural spaces in school and the community. Through Daisy’s eyes, students are able to understand the power of awareness and appreciation of other cultures in making connections across difference. In this context, Grandpa Grumps could be useful when teaching to identity or diversity standards. Its skillful storytelling will engage students from the start and leave them with a warm, open heart (and possibly even a belly full of chao fan).

Enjoy a reading of Grandpa Grumps by actor Harry Shum Jr. for Conscious Kid’s AAPI Storytime series (in partnership with Wong Fu Productions):