Mrs. Biddlebox & Thank You Grandpa

Reviewed b

    Profundity in picture books is not so much explained as expressed. The reasons why a particular childrens picture book is profoundly moving are generally obscure precisely because its creators have not overtly provided them. A deeply felt expression of understanding conveys a child toward genuine insight in a manner never attainable through the more common method of working backward from an adult perspective towards a simplistic, and therefore presumably childish, perspective presented in a high pitched, falsely exuberant manner.

    Two exceptional new picture books serve to illustrate our point, namely Lynn Plourde’s Thank You Grandpa and Linda Smith’s Mrs Biddlebox. Thank You, Grandpa is a departure for Plourde, a local author with a strong national following. Plourde’s earlier work involved light, loosely rhymed comedy. Thank You, Grandpa is an absolutely sublime handling of a very difficult topic, death.

    The story, magnificently illustrated by Jason Cockcroft, follows the relationship between a young girl and her Grandfather. The two have taken walks together ever since "the little girl was barely old enough to toddle." The Grandfather instills a sense of wonder and appreciation in the natural world through a process of both giving thanks to the spider webs, butterflies and grasshoppers they encounter, and of taking leave of them as well. In the end, upon her Grandfather’s death, the girl walks out into the woods and expresses her thanks and her goodbye to him in a wonderfully poignant manner.

    The genuine simplicity and warmth, accentuated by the light touch Plourde exhibits throughout, and by the marvelously expressive Cockroft drawings, make the book a profound affirmation of life. This is a book not so much about death, but a book which places death in the context of the wonder, and movement of life.

    Mrs. Biddlebox, by Linda Smith, is about another difficult topic for young children, having a really bad day. Smith, who died of breast cancer in 2000, left behind two childrens books, of which Mrs. Biddlebox is the second.

    On confronted with waking up on the wrong side of bed Mrs. Biddlebox determines to bake the entire day, lawn, fog, sun, shadows and all, into a pie, which she proceeds to eat. When it comes to rhyming text for picture books, it’s easy to do poorly and hard to do well. Smith is exceptional at maintaining a strong rhythm, and a good balance of humor and detailed narrative. The illustrations by Marla Frazee provide a perfect accompaniment. Mrs. Biddlebox’s uncomplicated motives, and firm determined actions, provide a delightfully comfortable environment for children to laugh at and appreciate the pleasures of being in a bad mood, and its relationship with feeling good again.

    Mrs. Biddlebox and Thank You, Grandpa, demonstrate that genuine, deeply felt, tightly focused expression makes complex emotions not so much simplified, but, vibrant, accessible, and subject to understanding for their young audience. That they are a delight for adults to read aloud to said audience can also be presumed.