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Albert's Very Unordinary Birthday
On an ordinary day, in an even more ordinary town, it was Albert's birthday. Just like every other year, Albert asked for something special --- a robot piñata? balloon poodles? chocolate-cherry-ripple cake? And just like every other year, his parents suggested less exciting options, like birthday socks or birthday toast. But this year, after Albert closed his eyes and made a wish on the imaginary candle atop an imaginary piece of cake, Grandma Z knocked on his door. ?Happy birthday, Albert,? she said. ?Chocolate-cherry-ripple is a marvelous choice. Shall we go?? And Albert's birthday --- and his life --- was about to become anything but ordinary! Daniel Gray-Barnett's debut picture book is a fun and fresh intergenerational romp, filled with wonder, imagination and a magical spirit. The quirky retro-style illustrations are full of energy and contain loads of delightfully odd details that add humor and playfulness to the story. With a modern-day grandma who is exciting and full of life --- her grandson's kindred spirit --- this book offers a new twist on celebrating the special role a grandparent can play within a family. A perfect read-aloud, the story of Albert's adventures with the irresistible Grandma Z is sure to captivate all children and make any day extraordinary!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 27, 2018
Grandma Z by Daniel Gray-Barnet is an adventurous romp through the imagination of a young boy. Incorporating elements of Mary Poppins, Hagrid from Harry Potter, with the absurdist stylings of Roald Dahl, Grandma Z is the Fairygodgrandma that every child would dream to have.
While the plot is simple, with jumps and leaps that occasionally seemed to come from nowhere, where Grandma Z shines is its illustration. The colour palette is limited which, to my surprise, made the illustrations far more striking than I had expected. The mix of blues and oranges gives the book an ethereal feel, communicating the fact that the story takes place in a young boy's imagination more effectively than words ever could. Even the layout itself was clever. Many illustrated children's stories simply represent what the text is telling us. Gray-Barnett instead uses his art to convey the plot, using the text to emphasise what the art can't communicate. It was an interesting approach, but it really worked.
Grandma Z isn't a perfect work. At moments the text didn't flow as smoothly as I would have liked and I didn't feel that I got a real feel for the two main characters. But neither of these was major enough to change the way I felt about the book. Grandma Z is a beautiful work of illustrated fiction that is not only something fun to share with your children, but is also so beautiful that it's something worth keeping forever.
While the plot is simple, with jumps and leaps that occasionally seemed to come from nowhere, where Grandma Z shines is its illustration. The colour palette is limited which, to my surprise, made the illustrations far more striking than I had expected. The mix of blues and oranges gives the book an ethereal feel, communicating the fact that the story takes place in a young boy's imagination more effectively than words ever could. Even the layout itself was clever. Many illustrated children's stories simply represent what the text is telling us. Gray-Barnett instead uses his art to convey the plot, using the text to emphasise what the art can't communicate. It was an interesting approach, but it really worked.
Grandma Z isn't a perfect work. At moments the text didn't flow as smoothly as I would have liked and I didn't feel that I got a real feel for the two main characters. But neither of these was major enough to change the way I felt about the book. Grandma Z is a beautiful work of illustrated fiction that is not only something fun to share with your children, but is also so beautiful that it's something worth keeping forever.
May 31, 2018
Wow! I loved the unique style of that book. The illustration style and really follows the story! The story in itself is simple, but funny and entertaining. A really good surprise!
March 12, 2018
An absolutely beautifully illustrated and imaginative picture book, that can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.
An ordinary boy enjoys a particularly unordinary birthday when his quirky Grandma rocks up at his door: a character that many kids should be able to relate to and gaze at with wonder. The story allows the reader to escape into a magical world, made all the more absorbing by the author's ethereal imagery and chosen colour palette. These images could easily be standalone artworks!
Highly recommended.
But don't just take Dad's word for it, here's what my twin daughters had to say:
Me: If you could tell someone about this book what would you say?
F: You HAVE to read it!
Z: This book has great pictures. Can we bring it to school?
:)
An ordinary boy enjoys a particularly unordinary birthday when his quirky Grandma rocks up at his door: a character that many kids should be able to relate to and gaze at with wonder. The story allows the reader to escape into a magical world, made all the more absorbing by the author's ethereal imagery and chosen colour palette. These images could easily be standalone artworks!
Highly recommended.
But don't just take Dad's word for it, here's what my twin daughters had to say:
Me: If you could tell someone about this book what would you say?
F: You HAVE to read it!
Z: This book has great pictures. Can we bring it to school?
:)
October 26, 2018
Albert lives a very ordinary life and even his birthday is just an ordinary day. No parties for him, instead he got birthday socks as his gift and plain toast for breakfast. All he could do was imagine that he had a candle to blow out on his piece of chocolate-cherry-ripple cake. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and when Albert answered it, there stood his Grandma Z. She told his parents that they were just going to do ordinary birthday things, but their day together was anything but ordinary! They explored the woods, climbed a huge rock, looked at a dragon’s tooth, visited a palace, rode a roller coaster over and over again, and finally had a big slice of chocolate-cherry-ripple cake.
This import from Australia is an entirely energizing read. Nicely, the text doesn’t rhyme but instead holds together with its structure and tone. Told in a breathless voice once the fun starts, the book moves from its staid and dull beginnings into a hurtling pace of doing all sorts of marvelous things over the course of one amazing day. The text and illustrations work together well, showing them flying with birds, a dragon asleep in a cave nearby, and horses riding the coaster with them.
A wild ride of a birthday book, expect requests for chocolate-cherry-ripple cake in the future. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
This import from Australia is an entirely energizing read. Nicely, the text doesn’t rhyme but instead holds together with its structure and tone. Told in a breathless voice once the fun starts, the book moves from its staid and dull beginnings into a hurtling pace of doing all sorts of marvelous things over the course of one amazing day. The text and illustrations work together well, showing them flying with birds, a dragon asleep in a cave nearby, and horses riding the coaster with them.
A wild ride of a birthday book, expect requests for chocolate-cherry-ripple cake in the future. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
June 10, 2022
Wacky and kinda wonderful.
January 3, 2019
Albert 's Very Unordinary Birthday was such a fun and entertaining book to read. This book is perfect for children with wild imaginations and those who like to dream.
May 4, 2018
This enchanting picture book is a wonderful debut for Daniel Gray-Barnett. The story itself is whimsical and imaginative, it conjures up feelings of excitement and mystery brought about by Grandma Z and all the adventures that she leads Albert on, albeit in his imagination, on his 'ordinary' birthday. It is a great way to look at imagination and can be an engaging book for a younger reader if you wanted to talk about where they would want to go with Grandma Z. Personally, I just found it a read that made me smile and one that I will return to when I want to brighten my day a little with touches of humour and the marvellous Grandma Z.
January 2, 2021
i LOVE the colour and art style of this! but i could give or take the actual story lol... like i just expected more idk
July 22, 2018
Thank you NetGalley, Kids Can Press and author Daniel Gray-Barnett for giving me a copy of ALBERT'S VERY UNORDINARY BIRTHDAY. This copy was given to me for my honest opinion.
~~~
The following review was originally posted on www.danithebookaholic.com. You can find more information about the book and author there. Review was also posted by guest-reviewer, Laurel, who will be doing all children's book reviews for the site.
~~~
Hello everyone! I am Laurel. My family consists of my husband, Vinny, our 5 year old son, J, and our 3 year old daughter, A. We recently adopted a white labradoodle puppy, Truman.
Weekdays you will find me at my sweet little elementary school where I am the librarian and computer teacher. Reading has always been my favorite hobby. I love to get away to places and times I have never experienced.
Even before we had children I loved children’s books. I was a classroom teacher for 5 years before switching to library media. I love when I can use a book to connect to a lesson or a situation in life. When Dani asked if I would be interested in reviewing some children’s books I jumped at the opportunity!
REVIEW:
Albert’s Very Unordinary Birthday is a sweet tale about a young boy who has never had a real birthday celebration. That made me feel quite sad. I immediately noted that there was a lot of use of the color blue which I usually associate with sadness. I found it interesting though that J also noticed that there was a lot of blue and orange and he really liked that. Blue is his favorite color. Albert pretends he has a piece of cake and makes a birthday wish. Magically, his grandmother, whom he has never met before, arrives to take him out for his birthday. They embark on a very unrealistic and fantastical unordinary day. J’s favorite part was when they discovered a new beetle. He had lots of questions about the new beetle and noticed immediately when it was illustrated at the end of the story. We both enjoyed the illustrations. I felt like they did a great job providing a visual for the text.
Overall, I would be happy to share this book with my elementary aged students. I feel there are plenty of talking points and lessons to reference. I also feel that children would be eager to choose this book based on the cover illustrations and title.
Laurel's Score out of 5: 📚📚📚📚
From one bookaholic to another, we hope we’ve helped you find your next fix.
—Dani & Laurel
~~~
The following review was originally posted on www.danithebookaholic.com. You can find more information about the book and author there. Review was also posted by guest-reviewer, Laurel, who will be doing all children's book reviews for the site.
~~~
Hello everyone! I am Laurel. My family consists of my husband, Vinny, our 5 year old son, J, and our 3 year old daughter, A. We recently adopted a white labradoodle puppy, Truman.
Weekdays you will find me at my sweet little elementary school where I am the librarian and computer teacher. Reading has always been my favorite hobby. I love to get away to places and times I have never experienced.
Even before we had children I loved children’s books. I was a classroom teacher for 5 years before switching to library media. I love when I can use a book to connect to a lesson or a situation in life. When Dani asked if I would be interested in reviewing some children’s books I jumped at the opportunity!
REVIEW:
Albert’s Very Unordinary Birthday is a sweet tale about a young boy who has never had a real birthday celebration. That made me feel quite sad. I immediately noted that there was a lot of use of the color blue which I usually associate with sadness. I found it interesting though that J also noticed that there was a lot of blue and orange and he really liked that. Blue is his favorite color. Albert pretends he has a piece of cake and makes a birthday wish. Magically, his grandmother, whom he has never met before, arrives to take him out for his birthday. They embark on a very unrealistic and fantastical unordinary day. J’s favorite part was when they discovered a new beetle. He had lots of questions about the new beetle and noticed immediately when it was illustrated at the end of the story. We both enjoyed the illustrations. I felt like they did a great job providing a visual for the text.
Overall, I would be happy to share this book with my elementary aged students. I feel there are plenty of talking points and lessons to reference. I also feel that children would be eager to choose this book based on the cover illustrations and title.
Laurel's Score out of 5: 📚📚📚📚
From one bookaholic to another, we hope we’ve helped you find your next fix.
—Dani & Laurel
June 3, 2018
On an ordinary day, in an even more ordinary town, it was Albert’s birthday. But his Dad did not like mess so there would be no cake or pinnata, and there wouldn’t even be musical chairs because his mother didn’t like noise.
“Albert closed his eyes and imagined himself at a birthday party, holding a piece of chocolate-cherry-ripple cake. Then he made a wish”.
Answering a knock on the door to his Grandma Z Albert soon finds himself on an adventure on the back of her motor bike as they have a fun filled “very unordinary day”, celebrating his birthday.
Author /illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett has created his debut book for three to six year olds and my four year old grandson was just enthralled as we turned the pages. Using just three bold colours and strong brush strokes in the illustrations Gray-Barnett has produced a magical visual treat, but his choice of words is also appealing to the young. Our grandchildren particularly liked the exquisite drawings of Monarch butterflies as they are regularly checking our Swan plants to monitor the progress of the butterflies and cocoons. And the sentence, “Albert got a fluttery feeling in his stomach like one hundred Monarch butterflies coming out of their cocoons” is a wonderful way for children to understand the feeling of excitement building in their body.
Daniel Gray-Barnett is a self -taught illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. Illustrations from Grandma Z were chosen from thousands of international entries for the prestigious Society of illustrators Book exhibition held in New York in February 2018. The hard cover book is a quality publication which will be loved by young children, who have a vivid imagination and especially enjoy magical adventures with their grandparents.
“Albert closed his eyes and imagined himself at a birthday party, holding a piece of chocolate-cherry-ripple cake. Then he made a wish”.
Answering a knock on the door to his Grandma Z Albert soon finds himself on an adventure on the back of her motor bike as they have a fun filled “very unordinary day”, celebrating his birthday.
Author /illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett has created his debut book for three to six year olds and my four year old grandson was just enthralled as we turned the pages. Using just three bold colours and strong brush strokes in the illustrations Gray-Barnett has produced a magical visual treat, but his choice of words is also appealing to the young. Our grandchildren particularly liked the exquisite drawings of Monarch butterflies as they are regularly checking our Swan plants to monitor the progress of the butterflies and cocoons. And the sentence, “Albert got a fluttery feeling in his stomach like one hundred Monarch butterflies coming out of their cocoons” is a wonderful way for children to understand the feeling of excitement building in their body.
Daniel Gray-Barnett is a self -taught illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. Illustrations from Grandma Z were chosen from thousands of international entries for the prestigious Society of illustrators Book exhibition held in New York in February 2018. The hard cover book is a quality publication which will be loved by young children, who have a vivid imagination and especially enjoy magical adventures with their grandparents.
August 29, 2018
Albert is a child much to be pitied. His mother and father don’t go for the unordinary or the exciting, so his birthday is pretty much just like every other day only he gets birthday socks and birthday toast. One birthday Albert wishes on his birthday toast for an unordinary birthday, and next thing he knows Grandma Z arrives to whisk him away on the most stunning days he’s ever experienced.
I’ve got to give props to Grandma Z. When that woman says unordinary, she means unordinary. The activities the author dreamed up for Grandma Z and Albert are definitely creative and unique. The color scheme helps convey blah to exciting as it starts off in shades of gray and then adds blues and oranges. Kids who enjoy fantastical adventures should enjoy this, as well as kids who might secretly wish their birthday was a little more unordinary.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve got to give props to Grandma Z. When that woman says unordinary, she means unordinary. The activities the author dreamed up for Grandma Z and Albert are definitely creative and unique. The color scheme helps convey blah to exciting as it starts off in shades of gray and then adds blues and oranges. Kids who enjoy fantastical adventures should enjoy this, as well as kids who might secretly wish their birthday was a little more unordinary.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2018
I loved everything about this book! The eccentric Grandma Z and little suited-up Albert make an unlikely pair, but everything about this relationship is so wonderful. This is such an exciting, fast-paced story to read to kids; the storytelling aspect is fantastic, as of course the emphais is on Albert's unordinary birthday.
Grandma Z and Albert do extraordinary things: hunting for treasures, climbing mountains, bird-watching and even discovering a new species of beetle. I love how imaginative this book is, both in terms of the story and the illustrations. The colour palette is gorgeous and the drawings are absolutely brilliant, perfectly capturing the sense of magic and adventure.
This book is perfect for kids who wish more for their birthday than birthday toast and socks! Suitable for babies all the way up to 7 years old.
Grandma Z and Albert do extraordinary things: hunting for treasures, climbing mountains, bird-watching and even discovering a new species of beetle. I love how imaginative this book is, both in terms of the story and the illustrations. The colour palette is gorgeous and the drawings are absolutely brilliant, perfectly capturing the sense of magic and adventure.
This book is perfect for kids who wish more for their birthday than birthday toast and socks! Suitable for babies all the way up to 7 years old.
March 13, 2018
When Grandma Z rolls up on her motorbike she turns Albert’s ordinarily glum birthday into a day of magic and surprise. Now this wasn’t because her sidecar was chock full of birthday presents, no - Grandma Z shared a gift far more valuable: PLAY!
Unwrapping Albert’s mind to the wonders he can explore all around him... if you just follow your curiosity. Together they fill the day with fantastic adventures, or adventures of fantasy? You decide.
Daniel Gray-Barnett’s eccentric illustrations are worthy of a character like Gramdma Z. His zany palette becomes more dramatic as Albert’s day becomes alive. The tangerine and dodger-blue are like visual popping candy, you can almost feel the snap! bang! crackling away as you read. A striking debut!
Unwrapping Albert’s mind to the wonders he can explore all around him... if you just follow your curiosity. Together they fill the day with fantastic adventures, or adventures of fantasy? You decide.
Daniel Gray-Barnett’s eccentric illustrations are worthy of a character like Gramdma Z. His zany palette becomes more dramatic as Albert’s day becomes alive. The tangerine and dodger-blue are like visual popping candy, you can almost feel the snap! bang! crackling away as you read. A striking debut!
June 1, 2018
As reviews for this book under its original name of ''Grandma Z'' will testify, this is a strong read. Staid (and unseen) parents demand their lad Albert have a typically dull birthday, but Grandma Z picks up on his wishes and leads him through a gallimaufry of unusual incidents and adventures. At the same time the artwork smoothly turns from dull greys to two-colour, kinetic glory. It's only another way to convey the 'carpe diem' message, but it's a good one - until you realise that Grandma Z clearly didn't work for her own children... That pesky real life must have got in the way, but this is for when a boy can certainly dream.
April 2, 2019
Albert lives a very structured, ordinary, boring life. He wishes things were a bit more interesting, but his parents say no to every request. Albert is sort of resigned to this, until one birthday Grandma turns up on his doorstep, and suddenly he has the most unordinary day!
There's a nice message here about holding on to hope, but I felt like the story was a bit slow. This book is on the 2019 CBCA shortlist for New Illustrators, but with the exlusive use of orange and blue I found myself wishing for a bit more colour. It did remind me of Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys "All the ways to be smart" but I thought their choices of colour worked more successfully.
There's a nice message here about holding on to hope, but I felt like the story was a bit slow. This book is on the 2019 CBCA shortlist for New Illustrators, but with the exlusive use of orange and blue I found myself wishing for a bit more colour. It did remind me of Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys "All the ways to be smart" but I thought their choices of colour worked more successfully.
August 15, 2018
Albert was about to have another boring birthday when Grandma Z arrives. She takes him to do things his mother and father would never consider doing. I like their relationship. In the midst of doing wild things, they go bird watching. That didn't fit with the other fantasy-like things they did. The ending is just OK.
April 12, 2020
Its Alberts birthday, his father doesn’t like mess and his mother doesn’t like noise, so his birthday is always like any other day. But this birthday Grandma Z turns up and Grandma Z takes Albert off to do some ordinary birthday things; hunt for dew of the sea, climb enchanted rock, etc. and after that day Albert never felt ordinary again.
July 19, 2018
Can't we all have a Disneyfied Mary Poppins-esque granny? While the premise seems very familiar -- parents poo pooing childhood wishes, but saved by a fairy grandmother -- the story was fun and imaginative.
March 21, 2019
Albert's mother and father disliked anything out of the ordinary, even on his birthday. But Grandma Z had other ideas. Albert and grandma Z went on an adventure and had the most extraordinary birthday ever!
April 25, 2019
I firmly believe that there is a person for every book, and a book for every person. This book did not really speak to me though. I thought the imagination of the illustrations likable but the grandmother's portrayal a little creepy.
Not a bad story, just not one of my favorites.
Not a bad story, just not one of my favorites.
July 6, 2018
A very cute little book with an important message to learn. Would recommend to anyone thinking of trying this out. Will be reading others by this author.
Read
July 22, 2018Kid gets his birthday wish and his whole life is transformed by a magical grandmother who suddenly appears at the door.
August 3, 2018
Fun story about a boy with BORING parents and a fun Gran. Gran shows up to take him on a birthday adventure. Would read for grandparents day.
September 2, 2018
Boy is expecting another boring birthday with his boring parents but his adventurous, fun-loving grandmother has other plans.
December 7, 2018
Love the text, the illustrations are bright but only uses blue, orange and black tones.
June 17, 2020
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A silly whimsical story that will appeal to children. I wasn't a fan of the illustrations.
A silly whimsical story that will appeal to children. I wasn't a fan of the illustrations.
July 30, 2020
Completely wacky and totally wonderful. I love the colour scheme and this perfect birthday dream. A deserving winner of the CBCA award that it received.
November 15, 2020
Albert has the most boring parents in the world but fortunately Grandma Z comes and saves the (birth)day!
Read
August 19, 2019This book will inspire and reinforce the importance of fun in growing up and lead you to believe that every day can be “unordinary”.
Herald Sun
Grandma Z celebrates the power of vivid imagination, and the illustrations are absolutely spectacular, with bold colours and strong brushstrokes that convey a magical world … Daniel Gray-Barnett … has created something entirely unique that is both readable and a visual feast.
Angela Crocombe, Books+Publishing
You won’t find Grandma Z with curlers and knitting needles. Run-of-the-mill for this gregarious granny involves motorcycles, rock climbing, a dragon’s tooth horn, dancing Icelandic ponies and afternoon tea at a palace – all while wearing a furry blue trench coat.
Melanie Kembrey, The Saturday Age
Herald Sun
Grandma Z celebrates the power of vivid imagination, and the illustrations are absolutely spectacular, with bold colours and strong brushstrokes that convey a magical world … Daniel Gray-Barnett … has created something entirely unique that is both readable and a visual feast.
Angela Crocombe, Books+Publishing
You won’t find Grandma Z with curlers and knitting needles. Run-of-the-mill for this gregarious granny involves motorcycles, rock climbing, a dragon’s tooth horn, dancing Icelandic ponies and afternoon tea at a palace – all while wearing a furry blue trench coat.
Melanie Kembrey, The Saturday Age
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews