"Could Be Worse!": A Watercolor Picture Book About Gramps' Surprising Adventure for Kids (Ages 4-8)

by James Stevenson

"Unexcitable Gramps surprises everyone with a whopping tale of derring-do that proves there's life in the old boy yet. Stevenson's watercolors couldn't be better."--School Library Journal.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Family

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 1979

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads databse.

Reviews

[Steven Latour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had fond memories of reading this as a kid, so I decided to pick up a copy and see if it was as good as I remembered. Turned out it was. Amazing I still enjoyed it all these years later (I got it when it came out).

[Emily Arrant]

Summary: This book is about a grandpa and a grandson. The grandson says that everything was always the same at his grandpa’s house. The grandpa always had the same breakfast, read the same paper, and he would always say the same thing (“could be worse”). However one day his grandpa said something different, he said “Guess what?” He then proceeded to tell his grandkids a dream that he had when he went to bed. After the dream he asked them what they thought of the dream, they replied, “could be worse!”

Evaluation: I thought this was a really cute book. This book gave a lesson how things could always be worse. I think the book would also be a good sequencing book when he is telling about his dream.

Teaching Idea: I would read this book to the students. Then at their desk they would have pictures of each event that had happen in the grandpas dream. They would then have to put the dream in sequential order.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that is fun to tell as a storytelling excersise. It's very conversational and memorable. Not too long so memorization is super hard but also flows really nicely.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new ever happens at Grandfather's house, and his favorite response to everything is "Could be worse!" One day he overhears his grandchildren wondering if anything interesting ever happens to him, and the next morning he greets them with a tremendously tall tale involving a kidnapping by a large bird, an encounter with an abominable snowman, a journey to the bottom of the sea, and a ride on a paper airplane. It becomes evident at the end of his story that his is gently pulling the children's legs, and they respond with appropriate teasing: "Could be worse!"

The story is well paced, nicely crafted and easy to read, but what really makes it fun is Stevenson's whimsical, funny artwork. The gentle relationship between Grandfather and his grandchildren is positive and warm, and children will enjoy this flight of fancy, grounded in the context of a secure relationship. It's not a classic, but certainly worth reading a few times.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyday; it was the same old routine at Grandpa's house. Mary Ann and Louie didn't think anything interesting ever happened to Grandpa, because his response to everything was "could be worse!" Until one morning Grandpa shared the most outlandish tall tale ever told, and Mary Ann and Louie could only respond with three words.

[Crissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.

[Langhorne Tweed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was and still remains my favorite childhood read. I love everything about it, from the austere grandpa to the fantastical elements the children experience.

That's not to say it's perfect. It's neither the best-written nor the finest narrative ever. No, but this one holds a special place in the charred remains of my black heart. From his little deathbed, my sickly inner child rasps out a request to have it read to them one more time before they depart forever.

And, yes, I do pick it up and give it a read occasionally with my face frozen in a queer smirk and a tear in my eye as I recall how I felt reading it the first fifty or so times as a child. But, you know, things happen and, of course, it could be worse.

[Therese Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, it could always be worse! But, not when you’re reading a book this funny!!

This is an adorable book about a grandfather with a famous saying his grandchildren have learned to anticipate. Until one very special day… Will his catchphrase fit?

Parker was incredibly alert for this tall tale. I must say I found it hilarious. I think Parker will, too, by the time he’s in school.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book when I was going through the shelves of our school library. I thought it was funny and I read it to my first and second graders. Both classes thought that it was a good book as well. For an older book I think that it was great, the kids were still into it. I would recommend this book to others.

[Andy2302 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This came in a box of city library discards I picked up for the Little Free Libraries in town. The title & cover art made me start reading. The illustrations have a simple beauty. The prose is captivating. I loved it. A septuagenarians 2¢.

[Sandra Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could be worse is about a predictable grandpa who always uses the phrase "Could be worse" when something happens to the grandchildren. They wonder if grandpa is bored and if anything fun happens to him. The next day he tells them about a dream where he is attacked by an abominable snowman, walks across a desert and is stomped by a giant, then kicked into the ocean and almost gets struck by lightning. He asks the grandkids "what do you think" and they response with "could be worse!" This story would be a fun one for sequence of events.

[Tym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations reminiscent of Quentin Blake and an adorable story about a pair of children who think their grandpa is very boring because he always does the same things and has the same response to every occurrence “Could be worse.” Then grandpa has a story to tell. . .

[Nahuatl P Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué libro tan simple y divertido.
Las ilustraciones también me gustaron mucho.
El abuelo siempre dice lo mismo; "Podría ser peor". Sus nietos se quejan de que siempre dice lo mismo, entonces les cuenta una maravillosa y divertida aventura.
Recomiendo.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grandpa's catch phrase imparts wisdom, and perhaps, a philosophy to live by as he spins a tall tale filled with adventure where things continually . . . get worse. With fun, cartoony illustrations by the author.

[Kate Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m thankful that my parents saved my books from when I was a kid in case I had kids of my own. Dad brought over a bunch recently and they bring back good memories. I love sharing these with my soon to be 4 year old.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its great

[Private Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and entertaining.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grumpy old grandpa with stories about how much worse he had it when he was a kid--the "I had to walk five miles in the snow, uphill both ways" story taken to new heights.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my go-to bedtime story growing up. To this day, I still keep to whatever comes my way, it still could be worse.

[Just G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children's book! Read it years ago to my kids, and recently read to my grandson.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my childhood favorites. One of my core life philosophies is “could be worse” and I don’t know whether it is innate or due to this book.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the motto of this book - Could be Worse. That might be my motto for a while. It seems to put everything in perspective and give home that anything can be gotten through.

[Sj Dd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book, it always could be worse, nice to appreciate things even if nothing is going on

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little bit of nostalgia

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for children

[Georgia Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

People who have seen hard times are tough to impress. In “Could Be Worse!” by James Stevenson, two kids can’t seem to get their grandfather to offer them any sympathy. No trying, troublesome, gut-wrenching day can get any comment out of him other than, “Could be worse.”

Nothing upsets Grandpa’s apple cart, not even when the dog makes a mess on a rug so 1970s, it's practically dog camouflage. Stevenson was a prolific children’s book author and New Yorker cartoonist, and his illustrations anticipate the trend in modern books of using panels to convey multiple events on the same page. His approach draws from comics to show cause and effect, changes in expression, and sound effects. New Yorker cartoonists love being compared to comic book artists, so I recommend doing this often.

My daughter was resistant to pulling this book on the shelf, possibly because of the sketchy drawings, elderly featured character and muted color palette, but she changed her mind. She laughed harder and louder as the grandfather’s adventures grew progressively more outlandish. I loved seeing her giggle.

“Could Be Worse!” has the highest number of reviews on GoodReads I’ve seen for one of my childhood books, and that’s a testament to its timeless humor. I recommend joining the many other readers who mentioned ordering a copy as an adult; you might be surprised at your child’s joyful reaction.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Not* part of The Worst Person in the World series.
Pure silliness, a variation on the tropes used for The Adventures of Baron Münchausen, Fortunately (without the 'unfortunately'), Fortunately, the Milk and many others.
---
Reread for Reading Rainbow theme in Children's Books group. Opinion the same.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grandpa always says the same thing, “could be worse,” whenever his grandkids tell him something. They assume that it’s because he leads a very uninteresting life. To spice things up, he tells them a story of his previous evening – when he was abducted from his bed, horrible things happen to him, and he finally returns shaken, but alive. Their response? I bet you can guess…

Funny, but completely unrealistic. Grandpa needs to work on his tall tales, but as a first attempt at leading an interesting life – not bad.

[Marianna Randazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This marvelous story was a favorite among my children and students. It introduced the mantra "could be worse," into the children's vocabulary. It is imaginative and funny. Children enjoy Grandpa's top witted comparisons of their problems to what could always be!


Teacher and author of
Given Away, A Sicilian Upbringing

[JY · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pair of grandkids stay at their grandpa's house. When they observe his monotonous pace of life along with an equally monotonous attitude, they wonder if anything interesting has ever happened to him.

In a fun picture book with comic-like panels, the grandpa shows these kids what's up with something they did not expect. A simple tale on not judging a book by its cover, and that people come with all sorts of surprises.