Grumble Boats - by Susannah McFarlane (Hardcover)

About the Book

Emma is upset because she wants to go to the pirate party with her brother, so her grandmother shows her how to let go of bad feelings.

Book Synopsis

What happens when you're feeling upset? Grandma shows Emma how to say goodbye to being grumpy in this sweet and sensitive social emotional picture book.

A must-read for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are often caught up in their feels.

Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but she's very grumbly. That's because she didn't get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out.

Grandma shows Emma how to draw your grumbles. Then how to take your grumble drawing and fold it into a boat. They take their boats out to the water and say goodbye to their grumbles forever.

Once they let go of their grumbly feelings, a different type of grumble makes them realize something: it's time for lunch! A gentle and loving social-emotional learning story for little ones learning to navigate their feelings.

Review Quotes

In this Australian import, a grandmother shows a little girl how to let go of her grumpy attitude.
Emma's brother is attending a pirate party, but Emma is too young to go with him. Instead, her parents drop her off at Grandma's house. With her arms tightly crossed and her mouth set in a frown, Emma makes her feelings abundantly clear. Grandma takes Emma and Bella the dog to the beach. Pulling out paper and pens, Grandma says, "We're going to draw our grumbles." As she sketches zigzag lines and pointy corners, Grandma explains that she's expressing her irritation about breaking her favorite teacup this morning. Emma is initially reluctant but then scribbles her frustrations onto the paper. With the tide rolling in, Grandma helps Emma fold the papers into boats. They both run to the water's edge and toss their "grumble boats" in, waving their grumbles goodbye. Soft, smudgy watercolor-and-pen illustrations imbue the narrative with a gentleness reminiscent of a grandparent's hug; the artistic medium feels especially apt given the aquatic setting. This quiet lesson on art therapy may help youngsters deal with their own grumbly feelings. Instructions on folding a grumble boat are appended, along with a brief statement noting that paper is biodegradable, but readers should avoid littering. The characters are light-skinned.
Cheery guidance on cultivating a more positive outlook.
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Susannah McFarlane is an award-winning author of several children's books and series, including the EJ12 Girl Hero series, the EJ Spy School series, and the D-Bot Squad series. She is also the author of Grumble Boats, a CBCA Honor Book winner, Fairytales for Feisty Girls, and Bold Tales for Brave-hearted Boys. Susannah has appeared on several TV and radio shows, and has written for numerous blogs. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family.

Tamsin Ainslie is the illustrator of more than fifty books, including In My Garden, Count My Kisses, and CBCA Notable Book winners, Collecting Sunshine and Grumble Boats. Her paintings and drawings are held in collections all over the world. Tamsin lives in Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales, Australia, on a rambling, messy farm with her family and three dogs, two horses, and an array of chickens and ducks that provide her with never-ending inspiration.
www.tamsinainslie.com.au