This book was requested when I was young and requested more books than I could possibly read. Sadly, I no longer have access to this book and my tastes have changed. Thus I will not be able to give feedback on this title.

I loved this book, but I think it went right over the head of my three year old, who clearly doesn’t know what grudges are yet. It was quite a sophisticated topic of a picture book, I thought - I liked the idea of a Grudge Keeper, and how they all in the end learned not to hold grudges after all and get along and be happy instead :-). Quite a good message, and I liked the funny illustrations too!

My Thoughts:
“No one in the town of Bonnyripple ever kept a grudge. No one, that is, except old Cornelius the Grudge Keeper. ”

When a book starts with an opening like this, you cannot help but be drawn in! I simply adore the illustrations in this book. Vintage style ink and watercolor paintings which use a combination of light and color to reflect the mood of the characters and the accompanying text are perfect for the story.

The concept for this story is unique and sweet. As stated in the opening lines, no one in Bonnyripple ever kept a grudge. Of course, they simply handed it over to their local Grudge Keeper, old Cornelius. Soon, the town’s grudges filled up every corner and every nook in Cornelius’s cottage. But will this sustain a community?

Soon, on one stormy day, strong winds laid all those stacked grudges, literally to rubble. And poor old Cornelius – well, he was nowhere to be found. Calm, as always followed the storm. The townspeople, who had held on to their grudges during the storm, made their way to Cornelius to hand over their grudges. And he was missing!

What happened to him? What did the citizens of Bonnyripple do next – with their grudges, with all that had happened? Did they look for their Grudge Keeper? Read the book for yourself to find out

Extra, Extra:
a) Younger kids, who have not yet learnt what a grudge is (and how wonderful is that age!), might not need this book yet, or might need it explained to them! Helpful for those with siblings with grudges 🙂

b) While the book is definitely an easy read and great to read aloud, it also contains words like imbroglios and similar, which are big words for the target audience. A vocabulary builder, indeed – kids will learn new words for a grudge!

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 4 – 8 years (younger kids will need some help, while older kids and adults will also enjoy this read)
Reread Level: 4/5

Disclaimer: Since the eARC (Advance Review Copy) of the books from NetGalley expired a while ago, I acquired a copy of the book to read again and review it well. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the initial eARC of this book and introducing me to the same.