Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
3.5 stars
A really sweet story about forgiveness and friendship. No one in Bonnyripple ever kept a grudge except Cornelius, the Grudge Keeper, a sort of archivist of the townspeople’s complaints about one another. When a storm hits the town, the people see just how much space all their grudges take up.
I’m a sucker for wordplay and this one did not disappoint. All the turns of phrases were so fun.
I loved the message of how focusing only on the negative and minor inconveniences can get in the way of possible friendships and relationships. The townspeople’s grudges prevented them from connecting with one another. Once they were able to let them go, they could empathize with one another and come together as a community.
The artwork is absolutely stunning. I loved all the details and the physical manifestations of all the grudges.
A lovely read for talking about figurative language, empathy, and forgiveness.