When Grandad Was a Penguin

A small girl goes to stay with her Grandad but he seems to be behaving in rather an odd manner; he looks strangely different, he insists on going on about fishing, his clothes appear weirdly unsuitable and he keeps being found in the most peculiar places – the loo or the fridge for instance.

Morag Hood has already formed a bond with her young readers who will of course, see a penguin, not Grandad thus far; but they’ll happily go along with the phone call and subsequent trip to the zoo, where Grandad looks perfectly happy with his penguin pals; after which things can get back to normal … err? Look out for the twisting finale.

This shared joke of a deceptively simple story is witty and slightly surreal. Look carefully at the bold, minimalist lino-cut scenes and see the similarities between Grandad and those penguins. Laughs aplenty guaranteed when you share this, especially if a grandad is part of the audience, or better, the reader aloud.