PreS-Gr 2–Grandpa asks young Gilbert to sit next to him and keep the bugs away while he naps in a hammock. Gilbert sits and waits and watches while his grandpa sleeps, but there don’t appear to be any bugs out on this day. Meanwhile, his mind wanders, allowing readers to learn more about the boy. He has older brothers, cousins, and his family is expecting a new baby soon. They have also recently lost the boy’s grandmother. Gilbert is tempted on several occasions to leave his post, either to follow the cat or to play with his brothers, but he takes his task seriously. When Grandpa awakens, he thanks Gilbert for doing such a good job and the whole family enjoys a snack together. The slow moving story is more a vignette than a narrative with the biggest take away being Gilbert’s loyalty to his grandfather. Characters are blocky with bright pink faces and rosy cheeks. The font repeatedly changes color, but the colors don’t appear to correspond to the characters or speech.
VERDICT A general purchase for larger libraries looking for quiet, slice-of-life intergenerational or family books.
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