Grandpa and Thomas

Pamela Allen (author/ illustration)

Penguin Books, Australia: 2003

ISBN: 0670041572

Genres: picture book, realistic fiction

Issues: family

CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, 2004.

This is another delightful creation from the remarkable talent of Pamela Allen (Alexander's Outing; Magic Beach; The Potato People). Thomas and his grandfather spend a day at the beach doing nice, ordinary things such as building a sandcastle and putting on suncream.

It is a very simple, very realistic story that will appeal to the youngest readers because of its comfortable familiarity.

As always with author/illustrators, there is a wonderful interdependency between the text and illustrations. The delicate pen and wash drawings work together with the simple text to convey the slightly comical nature of the serious self-importance of a toddler as he helps lay out the picnic blanket, for example. The rhythmic chorus - ‘Swish, swash, swoosh, sings the sea' - serves as a quiet heartbeat that echoes the firm, predictable relationship between Thomas and his grandfather. The reader can see that this is a habitual activity, something they have done many times before. Grandfather has his jobs, Thomas has his, and together they make a quiet, affectionate team.

Very simple but very effective, this is a book that will probably have toddlers demanding a second or third reading, even if their parents are not quite sure why.