Gabby Growing Up - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Gabby, introduced in Hest's The Purple Coat (S & S, 1986), and now about eight or nine years old, continues to think about growing up. She and her mother are taking the train to New York City to shop and to visit Grampa in celebration of his birthday. Gabby notices an older girl on the train with a short, perky haircut and decides she must have one too. Mama is worried that the child will look too grown-up, but the barber persuades her to let Gabby have the short haircut, saying, "It always grows back." As the child watches her long braids fall to the floor and her ears come peeking out from under short hair, she, too, worries that she looks too old, but Grandpa later reassures her that it is all right to grow up?but slowly, one day at a time. To her relief, he loves the less-than-perfect mittens she has knit for his birthday. Schwartz's illustrations, done in strong gouache colors and pencil against a soft ivory background, set this story in past and quieter times. Art and text together tell a totally satisfying story of a youngster making choices about herself, with the love and support of her family. Although this book stands on its own, children will want to read the first book to become better acquainted with Gabby.?Virginia Golodetz, Children's Literature New England, Burlington, VT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5^-8. Hest and Schwartz first introduced Gabby in The Purple Coat (1986), a story about the warm relationship between a girl and her grandfather. Gabby and Grandpa return here to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Gabby and her mother come into Manhattan to do some shopping, get Gabby a haircut, and meet Grandpa at the skating rink, where Gabby will give him his present--orange hand-knit mittens. But there are some surprises along the way. Despite her mother's reluctance, Gabby trades in her braids for a "perky" new hairdo. Another surprise is the birthday cake that Mom has for Grandpa. The big question mark for Gabby is, Will her grandfather like her new hairstyle and her handmade gift? And the answer is, of course he does. The relationship between Gabby and Grandpa is as sweet as ever, though the actual storyline is slighter than in the previous book. Schwartz's artwork, done in gouache and colored pencil, beautifully captures the alternating boldness and shyness of a young girl coming into her own. Schwartz also does a fine job of re-creating 1950s New York. Although the setting may evoke nostalgia for adults, Gabby's story of universal hopes and worries will easily appeal to today's children. Ilene Cooper