• Age: 1 to 3
• Grade: p to k

A grumple, a grumple is hard to awaken.
It doesn't like noises. It hates being shaken.

Not every child greets the new day with enthusiasm. Those who don’t are called Grumples, and they must be dealt with carefully. Sing very softly, tickle one pinky toe, kiss the scrunched-up forehead. And then a big hug and a singing rhyme to see in the day. Even Grumples cannot resist. There are many going-to-bed books, but Good Morning, Grumple is a unique look at the celebration of morning.

Manon Gauthier’s endearing collage illustrations capture the love between a mother and child, even in cranky moments. Parents will find Victoria Allenby’s droll story in verse to be a perfect accompaniment to the beginning of the day, and a gentle way to turn their own Grumples into children again.

"This padded storybook with sturdy cardstock pages follows a mother's persistent efforts to get her sleepy 'grumple' out of bed in the morning. Allenby's intermittently rhyming text traces the mother's escalating actions, which involve singing ever-louder...Gauthier's naif collages sweetly emphasize the warmth between parent and child...even when the little one's eyes are squeezed tight in a desperate attempt to hang onto sleep a little longer."—Publishers Weekly

Victoria Allenby has been writing poetry and stories for as long as she can remember. Her debut picture book, Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That, won the 2014 Preschool Reads Award and was nominated for the 2015 SYRCA Shining Willow Award. She has followed up the success of this debut with the critically acclaimed early readers Timo's Garden, Timo's Party, and Timo Goes Camping, as well as several picture books, including Shape Up, Construction Trucks! which has earned multiple starred reviews, and the 2021 title Listen Up! Train Song. Victoria lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Victoria Allenby's profile page

Manon Gauthier is a graphic artist who made the leap to picture book illustration in 2006. After her first book was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature, she dedicated herself entirely to illustration, and to giving presentations and art workshops in schools across Quebec. A flexible artist, Manon works in many media, including gouache, pencils, and paper collage. She lives in Montreal.

Manon Gauthier's profile page

• Short-listed, Book Riot “20 of the best picture books you’ve never heard of” Selection

About Good Morning, Grumple

2021 Book Riot “20 of the best picture books you’ve never heard of” Selection

"Gauthier's mixed-media and paper collage illustrations are quiet in tone, emphasizing that this is one fox who just wants to sleep. Tinges of taupe, cream, brown, and heather gray are shaded across the pages. The small size, soft padded cover, and sturdy card stock pages make this suitable for lap sharing. VERDICT Consider for medium to large picture book collections that serve a heavy toddler and preschool population."—School Library Journal

"This padded storybook with sturdy cardstock pages follows a mother's persistent efforts to get her sleepy 'grumple' out of bed in the morning. Allenby's intermittently rhyming text traces the mother's escalating actions, which involve singing ever-louder...Gauthier's naif collages sweetly emphasize the warmth between parent and child (they resemble a cross between a panda and a squirrel), even when the little one's eyes are squeezed tight in a desperate attempt to hang onto sleep a little longer."—Publishers Weekly

"Allenby's lilting lines encourage singing progressively louder, tickling toes, and kissing foreheads to get little grumples out of bed, but it's the music that's the most affirming and powerful method for urging kiddos out from under their covers and off to enjoy the great outdoors and play with friends. Gauthier's naive-style collage illustrations, rendered in rough-cut shapes covered in thick paint and freewheeling scribbles, nicely complement Allenby's bouncy rhymes..."—Booklist

"Author Victoria Allenby...succeeds once again in crafting a charming tale befitting the kindie set....[Manon Gauthier's] mixed media and paper-collage illustrations...convey great depths of emotion."—Quill & Quire

"This book is a wonderful invitation to celebrate morning and waking up routines....Manon Gauthier's illustrations are very unique and appear to be photographs of drawings on paper cut out and assembled/pasted in a collage-like style. They are reminiscent of the art of childhood, without being too childish. Children will relate to them as to something they could have created and in fact, this style would be a great one to have children try as an extension to the book. This is a unique and endearing title that will be a toddler favourite, especially for the 'Grumples'!"—Resource Links

"Victoria Allenby's sweet, lyrical text is rhythmic and loving, and it includes plenty of opportunities for interaction between toddlers and their caregivers....Manon Gauthier's collage mixed media illustrations are utterly charming...Good Morning, Grumple is perfectly designed for the littlest of readers, with a soft, padded cover, rounded edges and thick, sturdy pages that will stand up to repeated readings with enthusiastic toddlers."—CM Magazine

"Simply stated, Good Morning, Grumple is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for family, preschool, and community library collections."—Midwest Book Review

"Manon Gauthier's simple collage illustrations give this book a handmade feel. She has made charming use of crayon, pencil, paint and scissors....Taking time in the morning to read together in bed is a fantastic idea—grumples may even look forward to it! It might also offer the adult grumples out there a chance to slow down and reconnect before rushing out the door."—Canadian Children's Book News

"Good Morning, Grumple is a sweet spin on what can be a stressful morning routine that is sure to please both pre-school kids and their parents."—Montreal Review of Books

"[A] mother fox, who has obviously endured many a morning struggling to get a grumpy young one in rumpled bed clothes out of bed, attempts the near impossible feat with an established process of rhyming song and accompanying actions....Victoria Allenby has proven that she can write light and refreshing books for pre-readers and early readers...Manon Gauthier lends her trademark cut paper collage to Good Morning, Grumple, establishing evocative scenes with her artistry. Colour is limited but effective, with the neutrality of a grumple atmosphere evident throughout....Collage art has never been so expressive and atmospheric. Enjoy the smaller and inviting format of Good Morning, Grumple with Pajama Press' unique padded cover, rounded corners and heavy-duty paper that make it a pleasure to hold..."—CanLit for LittleCanadians

"My son and I thought this book was absolutely adorable....It is humorous, delightfully told and fun to read. It celebrates the love between a mother and her child. It makes difficult mornings easier to face. It made my son and I smile as we read it."—Library of Clean Reads

"[A] delightful invitation to celebrate waking-up routines. The gentle rhyming text is engaging without being too wordy...[A] unique and endearing title that will be a toddler favourite, especially for the 'Grumples'!"—Raising Mom