I recently read ‘The Parrot and the Merchant‘. This was a retelling of one of the many beautiful tales originally by Rumi. The fact that it was still a pleasure to read, and had not lost its freshness is testament to Rumi’s talent. And when I found another book in the series titled ‘Grobblechops‘ on NetGalley, I simply knew I had to read it – the title, the cover, and that it was based on a tale by Rumi.

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Grobblechops: A Tale by Rumi

Description

Amir is worried about the little monster lurking under the bed. What if it tries to eat him up?! And what if that monster has a dad and a mom too? As Amir’s dad tucks him in, Amir wonders if the monster might just become a friend instead… This classic bedtime fear is hilariously brought to life by award-winning author Elizabeth Laird and Finnish illustrator Jenny Luncander. A timeless tale of monsters under the bed, based on a story from Masnavi, one of the best-known and most influential works by the thirteenth century poet, philosopher and Sufi mystic Rumi.

My Thoughts

Amir cannot sleep. Why? That monster, of course!

As Amir finds different reasons to not fall asleep alone in the dark(that monster is reason number one), his clever and patient dad finds an equal number of reasons for Amir to look past his fears and maybe even embrace them(and well, go to sleep!).

Gorgeous colorful illustrations that depict characters truer to their names; with motion and vivacity that brings life to them all – humans, monsters, and toys too. The details in the illustrations add so much to the story told with just the right amount of dialog for a picture book. For instance,

• the Rumi poster is a nod to the teller of the original tale
• Amir’s teddy bear is a delight to watch across the pages
• all those tiny details that make it a normal, lived in home that cleverly yet subtly reflects who and where the characters are (the swim goggles on the bathroom floor, the toys strewn all around, the entryway of their home, the colorful rugs, the clothes they wear, the colors used)
• and so much more for you to discover

I loved the fact that it was dad who saved the day, well, the night, here. While I am a mom myself, it is nice to see books that show the father as the wonderful caregiver that he is too.

Like the tales by Rumi, this book is sure to stand the test of time with so much to look for in the detailed illustrations; and the text is delightful as well to read alone or aloud!

I do wish the book had included the name of the original tale this story is based upon. Note it only mentions the collection of tales this is taken from. I was intrigued and tried to find the 13th century tale that inspired a monster under the bed retelling for today; but could not figure it out from what I checked of the original collection (English translations online) so far.

In Summary

A book to treasure for its tender twist on a typical tale of the monster under the bed and for its colorful, full-of-energy illustrations. And you turn the last page with lessons learned as well – how to embrace/conquer those monster-under-the-bed fears, and to look past appearances for you never know where and in who you find your next best friend!

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 4 – 7 years (and older too!)
Reread Level: 5/5

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC and Tiny Owl Publishing for the digital review copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review

This goes towards It’s Monday! What are you Reading? hosted over at TeachMentorTexts. Join in and check the other links to find fascinating new reads and discover wonderful older ones too

And Then, Well, The End of this Post

My previous posts for this month are below. Playing catch up by posting more than one post is the way to get this done now! My Inktober posts – well, they will follow soon enough. STILL Working on them and now hope the next post will feature my next Inktober adventures as well!

• Sunday Scribblings #18: Where I Did Disappear, Again
• All About the Ds
• In Memory Of
• Book Review: Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things
• 5 National Book Award Winners for Young Readers
• Book Review: Tremendous Pagoda Tree of Martha’s Vineyard
• a fine day to start challenges