"A Stop Watch from Grampa" - a bookwrap

Unwrapping

"A Stopwatch from Grampa"

Authored by Loretta Garbutt

Illustrated by Carmen Mok

* Ages:  5-6

* Grade Level:  PS-2

* Hardcover: 32 pages

* Publisher: Kids Can Press

* Pub. Date:  April 7, 2020

* Language:  English

The Front Flap

Unwrapping Some Wonderful Illustrations for You

The Book

A small child inherits Grampa's stopwatch but longs for his beloved Grampa instead.  Why can't they still play "timing" games together like they used to?  What good is having Grampa's dumb old watch without him?  

Grampa used to time everything with his watch:  how long it took to race to end of the street and back, how long it took to eat a bubblegum ice cream cone and the time it took for Grampa to eat three oatmeal raisin cookies, just to name a few.  The watch feels so empty of feelings and joy without Grampa holding on to it as they played the stopwatch games...together.  

"Now there are no more Grampa minutes, Grampa seconds.

  Time just stops."

The watch is tossed into a dresser drawer and the drawer is closed.  The grieving for Grampa settles in and nothing feels like fun anymore without him.  Time marches on and when the season changes into winter the little boy discovers Grampa's watch buried underneath his sweaters in the drawer.  He picks it up and finds it fits perfectly in his hand and starts clicking the silver button... tick, tick, tick.  He then measures how long it takes for the shadows to move across the room and comes to the realization that the watch sounds just like Grampa.  The rhythmic ticking makes the little boy feel that Grampa is still there with him.   Now HE can become the keeper of the watch and HE can carry on the wonderful tradition of being an extraordinary time keeper himself.   

The illustrations enrich the text greatly and the child is portrayed in a unisex fashion so all children can relate.  The story is simple, gentle and touching. I highly recommend this book. 

Storywraps Rating - 5 +++ HUGS!!!!!

Meet the Author

Loretta Garbutt is a children's bookseller and voice actor based in Toronto, Ontario. She has played the voice of Valerie on the beloved children's television series Max and Ruby and the voice of Franklin the Turtle. A Stopwatch from Grampa is her debut picture book.

About the Illustrator

Carmen Mok is a studio art graduate of the University of Waterloo and a craft and design graduate of Sheridan College. She has illustrated a number of children's books for publishers across Canada and the United States. Carmen lives in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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