Grandpa’s Great Escape
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Grandpa’s Great Escape, from Children's author David Walliams.
Jack’s Grandpa…
*wears his slippers to the supermarket
*serves up Spam à la Custard for dinner
*and often doesn’t remember Jack’s name
But he can still take to the skies in a speeding Spitfire and save the day…
An exquisite portrait of the bond between a small boy and his beloved Grandpa – this book takes readers on an incredible journey with Spitfires over London and Great Escapes through the city in a high octane adventure full of comedy and heart.
Illustrated by the award-winning Tony Ross.
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About the author
David Walliams is a Children's author.
Born in London, Tony Ross went to art school in Liverpool. His cartoons have appeared in famous publications the world over. His first book, Hugo and the Wicked Winter, was published in 1972. Tony has since written over 100 books and illustrated over 2000!
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
One glimpse at David Walliams’ comedy CV suggests a man with a vivid imagination—and his incredibly successful children’s books confirm exactly that. Grandpa’s Great Escape introduces the British author’s most thrillingly anarchic and endearing characters yet. Jack, a friendless 12-year-old, plans to liberate his elderly grandfather—a decorated former spitfire pilot—from a dastardly care home. We adored this warmhearted fantastical tale for its impeccably researched RAF history and very silly jokes. Tony Ross’ gloriously freeform illustrations only enhance the fun.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
It's 1983, but Jack's grandfather, whose memory is failing, believes that the year is 1940, when he was a decorated RAF pilot serving in WWII. Unlike his worried parents, 12-year-old Jack views the workings of Grandpa's mind as "nothing short of magical," is spellbound by the man's wartime tales, and eagerly plays "Squadron Leader" to Grandpa's "Wing Commander" as they outwit enemy aircraft from their armchair cockpits. Knowing that "You had to enter Grandpa's world to get through to him," Jack uses military lingo to talk his grandfather down from a church spire, remove him from a museum's fighter plane, and help him escape the nightmarish Twilight Towers home for the elderly (motto: "Caring for your unwanted old folk"). Ross's energetic drawings and some playful use of typography bring additional drama and humor to the story. As in Walliams's Demon Dentist, the adult characters are of the bumbling sort such as Miss Swine, the diabolical matron of Twilight Towers, and a pair of detectives, Beef and Bone and the story's comedy is nicely counterbalanced by the poignant bond between Jack and Grandpa. Ages 8 12.
