The Storyteller

February 1, 2024
Reality and stories blend in this tale of the bond between a boy and his grandmother. Griffin's grandmother--referred to as the Storyteller--nurtures him with "milk, fresh-baked bread and all kinds of stories. Folktales, fairy tales, legends. And Griffin's favorite--family lore." His grandmother tells him about her best friend, a cat who could talk, and how she confronted bullies who mocked her "because her house looked like a shoe." Soft, realistic illustrations depict a retro-style house and village, with Griffin looking on at people and animals from famous tales, many tiny and doll-like: Rapunzel peering out of a tower-esque teapot, the protagonist of "Jack and the Beanstalk" scaling a flower. Griffin and his grandmother are always together until the older woman weakens and begins to fade. Griffin must preserve the Storyteller's vitality. Following Jack's lead, he sells his toy cow for magic beans (which resemble jellybeans) and grows an impressive beanstalk. Before his grandmother climbs it--a moving, inspired metaphor for her death--she leaves him with a few words: "Keep the stories alive, my love." Griffin, in due course, passes her words on to the next generation, re-creating the powerful cycle of keeping stories alive. Brief but potent text is paired with illustrations that exude a sense of magic and the joy of storytelling. Griffin and the Storyteller present white; other characters are diverse. Warmly and tenderly conveys the comfort of sharing the lore of days gone by. (Picture book. 5-8)

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May 3, 2024

K-Gr 3-Griffin grows up listening to his grandmother's wondrous storytelling. She weaves their family history and his life into every fable and fairy tale, bonding them together as he grows from a baby to a boy. When her light begins to fade with age and illness, Griffin seeks the stories he knows to stay connected to her, and ultimately, carries her stories-their stories-forward once she's gone. Illustrations in an innocence-imbued American folk style bring the story to life in saturated colors. Though elements of the plot are abstract and the reference to one character as both "grandmother" and "storyteller" may confuse younger children, this is a sweet representation of the ultimate soft place to land: in an adoring grandparent's love. VERDICT A fresh selection to offer to young children experiencing the loss of a loved one; a good choice for the grief or intergenerational shelves.-Jennifer Noonan

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