February 1, 1993
The newest addition to this prolific author's library of autobiographical picture books celebrates his childhood relationship with his grandfather--``We're named after each other, Tommy. That's why I want you to call me Tom instead of Grandpa.'' Together they read the Sunday comics, share stories, or tend to the butcher section of Tom's store. While the actual story line is minimal--Tommy gets in trouble for scaring classmates with a chicken-foot prank Tom taught him--the fans who cherish these reminiscences (adults as well as children) will welcome this skillful evocation of an all-important intergenerational bond. Touches of old-world humor and wisdom add sparkle to the tale, in which dePaola's idiosyncratic, apple-cheeked characters are rendered in bright, sunny colors. The sepia-toned portraits, simulating pictures from a scrapbook, that adorn the jacket and title page enhance the book's nostalgic tone. Ages 4-8.
April 1, 1993
K-Gr 2- As he did in Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs (Puffin, 1978) and The Art Lesson (Putnam, 1989), de Paola has used his own childhood memories to create a slice-of-family-life picture book. The simple, plain text tells of the close relationship between Tommy and his namesake grandfather, Tom. They read the comics together, act out poems and make up stories, and, in the final vignette, play practical jokes with discarded chicken parts (Tom is a butcher, by trade). The pictures are in the artist's familiar style, but they have more personality than some of his recent books in which the figures seem merely decorative. Tom and Tommy seem to be truly interacting rather than just posing in the same frame. There is a lively yet homey look to the characters and their surroundings. Although this book does not have the depth of feeling found in some of the author's previous titles, readers are given a fond glimpse of a grandfather who is a bit of a character and who, most importantly, loves his grandson. -Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
June 16, 1997
This autobiographical, typically sunny work celebrates the author's childhood bond with his grandfather. "Touches of old-world humor and wisdom add sparkle," said PW. Ages 4-8.
January 1, 1993
In a story based on his own childhood, Tomie dePaola tells about little Tommy's regular Sunday visits with his grandfather, Tom. Tom shows Tommy how to move the tendons in a chicken's feet to make the claws open and close and then gives Tommy a pair. When Monday comes, Tommy tries out his chicken-claw hands at school with shrieking results. With gentle humor and his usual mastery of line and composition, dePaola conveys the strong bond of affection between Tom and little Tommy.
(Copyright 1993 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)