posted on 23 Jul 2024

Pavlo Gets the Grumps by Natalia Shaloshvili

In my experience, the emotions of young children veer from being ecstatically happy to being extremely grumpy on a regular basis, not always for an obvious reason. Tuning into these fierce emotions is one of the hardest things for parents and other carers to figure out. Then of course, they have to find ways to help individual children to manage the more extreme versions so that they are suitably socialised to cope outside home. Because this is such a common feature of childhood, I always like to see a new picture book that focusses on difficult emotions.

The cover shows an unhappy looking kitten facing out wearing swimming goggles, blue flip flops and a duck faced yellow rubber ring. When I asked a group of four-year-olds to guess what the story might be about, one suggested that, like most cats, he probably didn’t like the water.  

As we turned to the first double page spread, we see Pavlo the kitten glaring across the breakfast table at his Mama. Both have cross facial expressions and we soon realise that Pavlo isn’t very keen on doing anything. He rejects a trip to the park because:

‘The swings are too swingy,

 the sandpit is too sandy and …

the slide is too slidey!’

His ever-patient mother suggests perhaps going swimming or going to the cinema but to no avail. Like mothers the world over who need to get out of the house no matter what, she ignores his pleas and excuses, insisting that:

‘The best thing to do with the grumps ….. 

Is to go out anyway.’

An astute girl in my story group pointed out that Mama probably wanted to go shopping and that he had to do as he was told because he was only a child! It turns out that it is a good idea because they soon meet up with Pavlo’s friend Mila the dog who is delighted to see him. They then all enjoy playing on the very slidey slide, eating ice cream and planning to go swimming after all. 

I liked the very soft style of illustration using muted colours that emphasise the furriness of the animals and conveys a feeling of cosiness and safety. I also enjoyed the surrealness of a children’s picture book that shows cats, dogs, elephants, frogs, mice and other creatures coexisting happily together. My favourite example of this is the cinema scene where they are all engrossed watching a film whilst making a terrible mess with popcorn.  

We agreed that it is sometimes a good idea to go out of the house to have fun, even if we might lack enthusiasm at first. But one boy offered the suggestion that it is also nice to stay at home and play quietly with toys – I agree. 

I recommend this thought- provoking picture book published by Walker Books which should be available from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

Karen Argent

July 2024