Maya’s Hair Has Flair!
By Courtney Pippin-Mathur
Flashlight Press, $16.95, 32 pages
Have you ever yawned, stretched and opened your eyes, ready to greet the new day, only to discover that you are in a terrible mood? We’ve all had one of those mornings, when the only song we’re singing in the shower is the grumpasaurus blues.
Meet Maya, a wild-haired little girl with a bad case of the grumps. Poor Maya. She doesn’t know why, but she’s in a crispy, cranky, grumpy, grouchy mood. Nothing pulls Maya out of her funk – not a good book or her favorite shorts or coloring crayons or even a yummy banana chip snack! Maya decides to grouch around the house and share her bad mood. How thoughtful! How will the birds, the cat, Maya’s baby brothers and Gramma react to all her growling and clumping? With a confident smile, Gramma reminds Maya of many things she had planned for the day that grumpy girls simply cannot do. Grumpy girls can’t hunt for hippos, inspect a crocodile’s mouth, bathe baby elephants or tickle tarantulas. Will Gamma’s silly suggestions cause Maya to giggle or smile? Can Maya be coaxed out of her grumpy mood and proceed to have a wonderful day with her brothers and grandmother?
Find out in Maya Was Grumpy, written and brilliantly illustrated by Courtney Pippin-Mathur. Kids will love reading or listening as someone reads aloud the funny verbs – grumped, slumped, snarled, glumped, grouched, thumped and grumbled – as Maya walks around. Pippin-Mathur uses a unique, wacky watercolor style in her artwork and has brilliantly designed Maya’s character to include a massive head of hair. The story is entertaining and both parents and children will be able to relate to Maya’s moody experiences.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin
[amazon asin=1936261138&text=Buy On Amazon][amazon asin=1936261138&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]