//

Maya Was Grumpy

by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

Flashlight Press

5 Stars

//

Inside Jacket:  Poor Maya.  She doesn’t know why she’s grumpy.  She’s just in a crispy, cranky, grumpy, grouchy mood.  Luckily, Gramma isn’t ruffled by Maya’s glumping and growling.  She simply reminds Maya of all the fun things she might miss out on because of her grumpiness—like hunting for hippos, bathing baby elephants, and tickling tarantulas.  Will Gramma’s silly suggestions coax Maya out of her miserable mood?

First Sentence:  Maya was grumpy.

Synopsis:  Maya woke up grumpy and grouchy but there was no reason and no one knew why.  She didn’t want to do anything; not read, eat banana chips or go outside and play.  She rumpled through her dresser looking for something to wear and made such a big mess.  She didn’t care.  She was grumpy.  What Maya did want to do was share her grumpiness.  She snarled at the cat . . . he went back to sleep.  Maya made faces at the birds happily chirping outside her window . . . they flew away.  Maya was not bothering anyone.  That just made her grumpier.

Maya decided she would scowl at Gramma.  Gramma just said, “Feeling a bit grumpy today?”  Gramma told Maya about all the things she would miss while being grumpy and dumpy.  Gramma had planned on hunting in the deep waters for hippos.

“I never hunt for hippos,” Maya grouched.

No matter what Gramma had planned for the day, Maya grumbled, rolled her eyes, or smiled.  Wait!  Maya smiled!  Did this mean her grumpiness was gone?  Would she now go hunting for hippos with Gramma?  Would she slide down a giraffe’s neck?

Opinion:  Maya Was Grumpy should look familiar to every parent and child.  This is a great book for getting that grumping child out of their grouchy, grumbling, gunky, scowling mood.  By the end of the story, Maya is feeling better and can spend a lovely day with Gramma hunting for hippos.

The illustrations are wonderful.  I love Maya’s stuffed lion.  It comes alive to mirror Maya’s mood and actions.  He reflects Maya by posing as Maya poses, scowling as Maya scowls, and smirking as Maya smirks.  I love little details that are there to tickle your funny bone.   These small details are usually not necessary but give the illustration extra character.  Even Maya’s flared out and unruly hair reflects her discontent as it grows larger as she grumps around the house.  Action abounds in the colorful pages of Maya Was Grumpy.

I think parents and children alike will enjoy this book.  For most children, Maya Was Grumpy will shoo their bad mood away.  That makes this book very useful, a new tool in a parent’s child defense, um . . . I mean child raising, toolbox.  A fun book that parent’s will not mind reading a million zillion times. Maya Was Grumpy is Courtney Pippin-Mathur’s first foray into children’s books and her artwork will surely be seen in countless more picture books, many of them her own.  She seems to understand children and with three of her own—including twins—she gets lots of storytelling experience.  I hope she returns to tell us another story soon.

Indie Next Top Ten Kids’ Great Read, Summer 2013 from Independent Booksellers

Maya Was Grumpy

by Courtney Pippin-Mathur    website    blog    facebook    maya’s facebook

Flashlight Press    website    blog    facebook    twitter

Released May 1, 2013

ISBN:  978-1-9362611-3-0

32 pages

Ages: 5 to 7 +

.

© 2013 by Flashlight Press, used with permission

Text & Illustrations:  Copyright © 2013 by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

//

DONATED TO LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARY

//

//

Related articles

• Interview with Courtney Pippin-Marthur (allisonsbookbag.wordpress.com)
• Maya Was Grumpy by Courtney Pippin-Marthur (allisonsbookbag.wordpress.com)
• http://grandmaideas.com/maya-was-grumpy (grandmaideas.com)
• http://taralazar.com/tag/maya-was-grumpy/ (taralazar.com)