Granny and Bean
(Hardback)
Publishing Details
Granny and Bean
By (Author) Karen Hesse
Illustrated by Charlotte Voake
Candlewick Press,U.S.
Candlewick Press,U.S.
5th October 2022
United States
Classifications
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Rural and farm life
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Physical world
Physical Properties
Hardback
32
Width 279mm, Height 243mm, Spine 9mm
397g
Description
From a stellar creative team, the lyrical story of a grandmother and grandchild as they share an intimate adventure by the windy seaand make a stop for teatime.
Their laughter rose; full of joy, it spilled
cross sand, through mist,
as the curlews trilled.
Gray skies, foamy waves, and brisk wind await Granny and Bean when they head out for their day by the sea. But they are full of only wonder and delight at all the shore has to offer. They listen for the shrieks of the seabirds as they discover treasures hidden in the sand, greet dogs as they pass, leap over logs, and settle out of the wind for a cozy treat before tramping homeward again. Rendered in simple, lilting text by Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse and expressive, windswept art from acclaimed illustrator Charlotte Voake, Granny and Bean have an adventure to cherish until their next magical day at the shore.
Reviews
Told in rhyming verse, the story is a quiet study of life by the sea. The illustrations, which rely on grays, browns, and tans, perfectly capture the chill and damp of a blustery day. . . . Librarians and educators will appreciate that the book provides a gentle counterpoint to the plethora of sunny days at the beach books. . . Perfectly captures the mood of the day.
Kirkus Reviews
In this soothing wind-down story, Newbery Medalist Hesses lines lull with rhyme and repetition. . . . understands the importance of taking time in the natural world.
Publishers Weekly
This plainspoken text provides a foundation for Voakes atmospheric mixed-media illustrations in which the interplay of gray and white in sky, sea, shadow, and rain is celebrated. Against this dynamic, impressionistic background, Granny and Bean, in glowing primary block colors, are sturdy and joyful. . . the relationship between a small child and an adult who has the time and patience to wander, who doesnt mind wet feet, and who provides a sustaining snack at just the right moment feels universal.
The Horn Book
The setting may be overcast, but Hesses jaunty rhyming couplets provide plenty of cheer. . . the full-bleed spreads transport the reader into the moody scenery, with an effective palette shift in the final endpapers as a break in the clouds welcomes a visually cathartic finale to a day of docile drama. . . an aesthetically dazzling, tenderhearted celebration as part of a Grandparents Day storytime.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Author Bio
Karen Hesse is the author of numerous books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; The Cats in Krasinksi Square, illustrated by Wendy Watson; Letters from Rifka, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and Night Job, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. She was also the recipient of a MacArthur Fellows Grant in 2002. She lives with her husband in Vermont.
Charlotte Voake is a Welsh-born author and illustrator of many books for children, including Ginger, a Nestl Smarties Childrens Book Prize winner and American Library Association Notable Childrens Book; Ginger Finds a Home; Pizza Kittens, a Nestl Smarties Childrens Book Prize Silver Medal winner; and Hello Twins, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Childrens Book of the Year. Charlotte Voake lives in England with her family.
