When the teacher asks students to talk about a family member for show-and-tell, Grandpa Frank is the narrator's last choice. Little does he know that he and his classmates are about to be treated to an unexpected show.
David Mackintosh (Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School) demonstrates how easy it is to take family for granted, and to assume their lives consist of only what we witness. At home, the boy tires of his grandfather's comments, such as "things were a lot tougher" when Frank was a kid. Mackintosh depicts a mauve and gray-hued collage of dinosaurs, police on horseback and gangsters. Frank eschews "fancy" food and "doesn't trust doctors as far as he can throw them," which isn't far due to an aching arm that worsens when it's about to rain. The boy's dread grows as he takes inventory of all his classmates' relatives' accomplishments. But on the day of the presentation, Frank takes over and the children are mesmerized.
Grandpa Frank appears in black and white until the day of show-and-tell, when he's dressed in full military regalia, including a red coat with epaulets (and price tag dangling). He tells how he led an army across a muddy battlefield. His arm hurts because of a piece of metal in his elbow, a souvenir of the war. Everyone has a story, Mackintosh suggests, they're just waiting to be asked. This humorous and heartwarming tale will inspire children to seek out their own grandparents' treasure trove of stories. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness