Grumpy Lost and Found in Naples

by Susan Marie Chapman, Natalia Loseva (illustrator)

Grumpy is a very happy and content iguana. He loves his home and his family of friends. On a chilly winter day in Miami Beach, Grumpy makes a decision that changes his life forever. He crawls under a blanket to stay warm and is suddenly taken from all that he knows and loves. Now, he has no idea where he is or how to get back to his home in Flamingo Park. Will help come for Grumpy?

44 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2023

About the author

Susan Chapman is originally from Pennsylvania and lived most of her life outside of Philadelphia in a rural area of Amish country. She grew up on a farm with many different animals and a huge vegetable garden. Susan is one of eight children. Susan attended colleges in Pennsylvania. She has a BA in Economics from Wilkes University, an Associates Degree in Business Administration from the Business School of Widener University, and a Certification in Home Design from Philadelphia University.

After college, Susan met and married her husband, the late Michael Douglas Chapman. Susan and Michael have two beautiful children together, Michael Jr. and Avery Alanna.

Susan now resides in Naples, Florida with her two fur babies, Sugar and Cookie.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

3.5 stars.
Grumpy Lost and Found in Naples is the start of a new adventure series for Grumpy the Iguana. I enjoyed how this book gave information about how cold weather can affect Iguanas and cause them to fall from trees and then how they can move again once the temperature warms up. I didn't know this. Grumpy is chilly one day when he spots a family having a picnic at the park. He cuddles up under their blanket and is accidentally packed up with their belongings and taken home with them. When Grumpy arrives at their home, he escapes and finds himself lost and alone. This takes us on a new adventure with Grumpy and his friend and I look forward to seeing where it takes us.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never lived with iguanas I had heard about them falling out of trees when it get cold but have not seen it. The book explains why this happens to iguanas in a very interesting way. My children and I enjoyed the book but wished it had ended differently. The illustrations are very beautiful and will catch your little ones attention.

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute children's book about Grumpy the Iguana and his friend the Green Parrot. The book is suitable for children aged between 3 and 7 years old.

In this new story, which is Part 1 of a new series, Grumpy experiences some cold weather which makes him hide under a family's warm blanket in a park. He is accidentally taken to a new place, where it is warmer, but he has lost his home and his friends, and he is now feeling scared and uneasy. Will he be able to find his way home, or be reacquainted with his friends?

I enjoyed this book, which has easy to read text and pleasant graphics. I liked the story, however, I didn't realise that it was Part 1 of a new story, so I was surprised when the end of the book cut off the story quite quickly. However, I look forward to Part 2 of the story, to see what happens next! I have enjoyed all of the Grumpy the Iguana books so far.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the cliffhanger ending was for a children’s book unless there are more books coming to build a series. The book was filled with interesting facts which actually ended up overshadowing the fictional parts of the story and the adventures. The author should’ve focused on the story and could just have added the facts to the end of the book for educational purposes.

Read more here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.wordpress...

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second book I read in the "Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot Adventures" series. I started from a book all focused on the holidays, but being a series for children you don't really need to read them in order to understand what was going on.

In this adventure, Grumpy is feeling cold and decides to take a nap under a blanket. Unfortunately, the blanket was owned by a family who then grabs it together with Grumpy to take it home. When their car stops, Grumpy manages to escape, but he is lost and confused.
I was a little bit confused too as the beginning of the story was set in Florida and then I just read Naples which is a city in Italy so I could not understand how they had managed to fly with their car, but that was my fault for not knowing there is another Naples in the USA.
The story was very cute, especially thanks to the Green Parrot who was willing to change his whole life just to help out his friend. There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, which I thought was strange for a children's book, considering how children can end up asking many questions, but probably it depends on how you tell the story.
There were a few interesting facts about iguanas which I didn't know. I thought that was a nice addition, especially because children can get obsessed on one particular animal and they may want to know anything they can about it. I have read some reviews saying the information ruined the story, but for me it felt like watching some of the cartoons from when I was younger. There was plenty of random info inside the story, and children probably would not mind as much as adults.
I gave it 4 stars only because of that ending which felt a bit strange, but otherwise this is a nice book to get children interested in iguanas.

[Kathrin Spinnler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy Lost And Found In Naples by Susan Marie Chapman is a picture book in the Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot series. In this story, Grumpy accidentally gets transported to Naples, Florida, which is miles away from his previous home. How will he figure out where he is? Will he find his way back to his best friend the green parrot?

The story is adorable and richly illustrated, and it touches on topics like friendship and resilience, which are important for this age group. I particularly liked the colorful cover that draws you in right away and the variety of images that can spark discussions with kids. At the beginning, I found that there is quite a lot of information before the story properly starts. This is great for science or animal-loving kids who are very enthusiastic about learning new animal/geography facts. In my opinion, Grumpy Lost and Found in Naples is particularly suitable for reading out loud and starting interesting conversations with kids.

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy Lost and Found in Naples is a cute story about the unplanned travels of an Iguana who curls up under a family's blanket for warmth while they are in the park, and finds himself accidentally transported very far from home.

While he *is* now in a warmer climate, he's also in an otherwise undesirable predicament because of his unfamiliar surroundings. Luckily there is a green parrot whom he encounters, and the interaction between the two is nicely done.

I love the illustrations in the story, which are bound to appeal to young children. And the characters are well-drawn, in more ways than one.

It was also an interesting opportunity to learn more about iguanas, as the book is quite informative. My only complaint is related to the ending, which was a little unexpected. But I guess it makes the reader want to get their hands on Part 2 of the story as soon as possible!

[Donna Emperador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about making the best of things

When Grumpy curls up in a blanket for a cozy nap, he gets more than he bargained for. Finding himself far from home, he learns to start over with the help of his friend.

This book teaches children that although bad things happen, there is always a way to pick up the pieces and move on. As with the other Grumpy books, this story contains an important life lesson for small children.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Florida, love parrots so what’s not to love. This book has a lot of potential, but it currently weaves nonfiction into the fictional story in a clunky sort of way. The story of the parrot and iguana is cute, but it gets buried in the facts. I would’ve like this more to have the story and then facts at the back of the book.

[Plots and Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Grumpy’s New Home
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Ladybug
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Easy
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Children’s
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Animal adventure
3.5/𝟱

🌱 Grumpy is feeling cold in East Florida and decides to take a nap under a blanket, only to be scooped up & thrown out by a family on a trip several hours from his initial location. As Grumpy tries to find out where he is & his way back home to his bestie (a blue bird), the unexpected situation will force him to face a new reality. He may never go back home to Flamingo Park again.

🦖🪷
I did not like the way this story ended (semi-rough to have a cliffhanger in children’s books, no?!?!), but overall it was a smooth read. Definitely one of those books where you should have the series before sharing it with a child… otherwise, be prepared for ALL of the questions you can’t answer.


♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)