Goody O'Grumpity

by Carol Ryrie Brink, A. Wolff, Ashley Wolff (Illustrations)

Children come from far and near to taste Goody O'Grumpity's wonderful spice cake.

Genres: Picture Books, Thanksgiving, Poetry, Historical Fiction, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Carol Ryrie Brink was an American novelist and children’s writer best known for capturing frontier life with warmth, humor, and historical detail. Raised in Idaho after a childhood marked by early family tragedy, she grew up under the care of her grandmother, whose vivid storytelling later inspired her most celebrated book, Caddie Woodlawn, winner of the 1936 Newbery Medal and a lasting classic of American juvenile literature. Educated at the University of Idaho and the University of California, Berkeley, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa before marrying mathematician Raymond W. Brink and settling in Minnesota, where she balanced family life with a prolific writing career. Over several decades she produced more than thirty books for young readers and adults, often drawing on Midwestern landscapes, pioneer history, and her own experiences. Summers spent in rural Wisconsin further enriched the authentic settings of her fiction. In later years she also pursued poetry and painting. Honored by her alma mater and commemorated in her hometown, Brink remains remembered for stories that celebrate independence, resilience, and the imaginative life of childhood.

Reviews

[Linda Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My youngest daughter's favorite fall poem out of an Ideals magazine. We read it over and over and over...

[Nichole Sedler]

Written by Carol Ryrie Brink, illustrated by Ashley Wolff, published by North South Books, copyright year 1996.

Summary: Based on a 1937 poem, a pilgrim who bakes a cake and all the children come to partake of it.

Response: This is a cute way to introduce early American history and the pilgrims. Gives some good pictures of the way people lived and dressed during colonial times. I like that it gives a recipe for the spice cake at the end. That would be a really fun project.

Possible Units: Colonial America. Thanksgiving.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good addition to a Thanksgiving unit. It's a poem about a pilgrim woman who is famous for her spice cake. People come from all through the town when they smell it.

The illustrations are the winning element here: colored block prints give us a feel for the lives of the colonists.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crisp and clear illustrations infuse a warming spice laden story about baking a cake. It comes complete with a recipe to make the very same! Subliminally (mostly visually) it is an introduction to early American history too. Our 2 & 4 year olds have loved it. Again. Again.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful smells lead all the children to Goody O'Grumpity's house. Maybe more than the smells, though, are Goody's giving ways. The recipe for the cake is at the end and we want to try it.

[Rozemarijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"De Kruidkoek van Kaatje"

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Block print illustrations and rhyming text make for a nice read-aloud at Thanksgiving time. Goody O'Grumpity makes a pie that is cherished by children who come from far and wide.

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good kids story about giving and it also has a recipe at the end

[Mel Beags · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recipe included

[Norah Moraes · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my favorite book

[Miss Sarah]

A preschool and up book where a woman bakes a pie and everyone smells it and comes over.

[superawesomekt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

I really like the illustrations in this but didn't find the text very engaging.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice illustrations.