Pavlo Gets the Grumps

Sometimes we wake up and get out of the wrong side of the bed. Little Pavlo has done just that as becomes evident as he sits with his Mama at the breakfast table. Mama suggests a visit to the park but immediately this idea is turned down. So too are her further offers of a swim and a cinema outing: Today Pavlo is full of excuses no matter what is proposed. Mama thinks it’s all down to a case of the grumps and decides the best way to deal with that is to go out anyway.

Unconvinced Pavlo sets out with his Mama and as they walk he hears someone calling his name. There stands his friend Mila, asking if he’s OK. ‘I’ve got the grumps,’ Pavlo responds. Now Mila knows just the way to send those grumps packing. After a tight hug, she leads the way to a laugh-inducing, good mood restoring go on the slide. After a cheering-up ice-cream cone Mama makes a suggestion. Will the others, naysaying Pavlo in particular, go along with it this time?

The sweet, fuzzy illustrations show clearly little Pavlo’s emotions as he discovers that his family members and friends will be there for ever even when he’s having a bad day and learns that what starts as a bad day can end as a good one. (Look out for the bit part characters – a playful mouse, a frog that enjoys films and reading, and a bird hoping for a taste of ice-cream.)