Reviews

Big Magazine Reviews Of Grumpy Gloria:

KIRKUS REVIEWS

A disgruntled bulldog provides fodder for a seriously funny tale from Dewdney. When a new doll replaces Gloria in a young friend's affections, a real sulk ensues. The other children soon attempt the Herculean task of bringing the petulant canine around. However, how to please a peevish pup becomes the question of the day. Tantalizing toys, bubble baths and invigorating jogs all fail to please Gloria. Dewdney wields her comic touch with consummate ease, using jaunty rhymes filled with wordplay to engage young readers. All ends well for the long-suffering Gloria, who is happily reunited with her friend by story's end. The vibrancy of the full-color illustrations serves to capture the reader's attention, while Gloria's woeful expressions are hilarious. Gloria has personality to spare, and her appealingly irascible demeanor earns her a place on the shelf alongside other favored pooches. Bound to be a read-aloud favorite. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publisherís Weekly September 06:

Grumpy Gloria
Anna Dewdney. Viking, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 0-670-06123-9

With a delightfully fresh take on the time-proven theme about a family member who feels displaced by a new arrival, Dewdney (Llama, Llama Red Pajama) features a jowly bulldog named Gloria. When the youngest child receives a new doll for her birthday, Gloria is definitely "glum and grumpy./ Out of sorts./ Sad and lumpy." The two older siblings do everything they can to cajole her (while the youngest plays with her doll). They give her a chew, new toys and a brushing, take her for a walk and dress her up in play clothes, but "sullen, scowly, sulky, slumpy.../ Gloria was staying grumpy." Dewdney portrays Gloria's hilariously tragic emotions with élan. The dog's brows are furrowed, her nose is wrinkled, and her jaw is rigid, but her indignation and crabbiness never make her less lovable. Readers will figure out the cause before the pair of siblings does; and when Gloria gets bumped from a bicycle basket into the doll's baby buggy, her mood substantially improves. The humor of the book comes through not only in Gloria's facial expressions but also in the lilting descriptions of her feelings. Cleverly, the front endpapers feature the two friends playing together, while the back endpapers add the new doll joining in the same games. The lively descriptions and amusing rhymes will make this a favorite for toddlers who feel left out. Ages 2-up.

School Library Journal

PreS-K - In this sweet story, a bulldog feels replaced when her young owner gets a doll for her birthday, and cannot be comforted by the other two children in the family. Unfortunately, the text is composed of singsong rhymes, mostly lists of single words rather than full sentences, which often seem awkward and do not scan well. Charming little vignettes on the endpapers show the canine and the little girl in happier times: Gloria pulls her in a wagon, watches intently as she blows bubbles, and looks content when she is being petted. Throughout the story, the pup's expressions exude attitude, but the siblings' faces seem a little static even as their body movements capture the action. In several places, the very tops of the children's heads are cut off, creating visuals that look as if the artist ran out of space. Large illustrations done in rich, bright colors are great for viewing at a distance, and the text, if read aloud, could be given expression. Preschoolers will laugh at Gloria's antics and undoubtedly sympathize with her feelings. However, while the author's Llama, Llama Red Pajama (Viking, 2005) is a surefire winner, this effort is an additional purchase.

-- Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Some Neat Blog Reviews:

Blog: Three Silly Chicks

Grumpy Gloria
Written and Illustrated by Anna Dewdney
Viking
ISBN 0670061239

Gloria the bulldog wasn't always grumpy. She and her little girl used to play catch and chase soap bubbles. But when her little girl gets a spiffy new doll, Gloria is left out of their games. The family tries to cheer her up with disastrous results. A bath? A jog? A game of dress-up? No wonder Gloria is a pouty pooch!
The lively, rhyming text is pitch perfect in this sweet and funny book, but the real star is Gloria herself who is portrayed with such warmth and humor. It's impossible not to fall in love with her. Kudos to Dewdney for her clever use of end papers to tell the backstory. Gloria is simply glorious!

Seven Impossible Things to Do Before Breakfast Blog
November 20th, 2006 by jules

What? -- Grumpy Gloria by Anna Dewdney
About? -- Two young children try to cheer up Gloria, their pet bulldog, who is oh-so jealous and pouty over the fact that her favorite person and play-mate, the family's youngest child, has just received a doll for her birthday and is pretty much ignoring 'ol Gloria.
Why It's Worth Reading -- Because you know you wanna see what Anna Dewdney can do after the exuberant yet comforting rhymes of 2005's Llama Llama Red Pajama. Evidently, she has a passion for bulldogs and loves to draw them (and just look at that cover — gotta love it!). Dewdney also seems drawn to bibliotherapy of sorts — stories that address certain thorny family issues while, at the same time, entertaining. In Llama Llama it was the child who won't go to sleep without mama; and in this one it's a family member feeling displaced by an addition to the clan, thereby making this a handy little story for that grumpy child with a new, unwelcome sibling. Dewdney is capable with her rhymes, but this one reads a bit stilted in spots, as if she was having too much fun with the thesaurus. But, it's rollicking in the least with a sprightly, little ending. The final illustration is a bit odd to me (with Gloria appearing scarily human-sized to me), but all of the other depictions of Grumpy Gloria are quite amusing, particularly her hateful peek over the rim of the tub as the children figure a bath will do her good. Gloria pretty much reeks of personality.