Hey Grandude!
Grandfather takes kids to faraway places in magical romp.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Hey Grandude! is a fun, action-packed picture book by musician and songwriter Paul McCartney, known as a member of The Beatles and his other bands since. It's the story of a grandfather ("Grandude"), who takes his four diverse grandchildren (he calls "Chillers") to exotic locales around the world by spinning a magical compass to transport them. There's cartoonish peril -- pinching crabs, charging buffalo, an advancing avalanche -- and one boy gets his toe pinched by a crab, another falls off a horse. It's an upbeat, silly adventure that celebrates the special grandparent-grandchild relationship.
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What's the Story?
In HEY GRANDUDE!, a white-ponytailed grandfather finds his four grandkids bored and grumpy when they're stuck inside on a rainy day, so he whips out some postcards and his magic compass and whisks the "Chillers" away to three different places on the cards, each time invoking the chant, "See the compass needle spin,/ let the magic fun begin!" They go first to a tropical beach, where they get chased by pinching by crabs; then to a desert with cowboys and horses, where they get charged by buffalo; and then to a mountain meadow with wildflowers and snow-capped peaks, where they must escape an avalanche -- by jumping on a flying cow. Finally, they get transported back to their bunk beds, safe and sound.
Is It Any Good?
This rollicking fantasy-adventure tale uses a touch of magic to transport four kids and their Grandude to destinations out of their everyday experience. Author Paul McCartney infuses Hey Grandude! with humor, love, lively word choices, and wordplay. When they're threatened by a buffalo stampede, one of the Chillers says, "Hey Grandude, could we go somewhere a little less ..." "Stampy!" Grandude says, finishing the boy's thought. Little kids will love chiming in on the magical phrase that activates the compass each time. They'll also enjoy the repetition of the phrase "Zing, bang, sizzle," that accompanies each scene change.
Artist Kathryn Durst's accessible, cartoon-like illustrations keep up the suspense and momentum as the action-packed story zooms to its peaceful bedtime conclusion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the places the kids visit in Hey Grandude! What places would you want to go if you had a magic compass that could get you there?
What do you think about the dangers the kids face in their adventures? What would be scarier coming at you -- a herd of buffalo or a mountain avalanche?
What fun adventures have you had with your grandma or grandpa or another caregiver?
Book Details
- Author: Paul McCartney
- Illustrator: Kathryn Durst
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, Horses and Farm Animals, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: September 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 6
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: September 25, 2020
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