Shelley Ashkowski - Illustrator

Grandpa and the Robin

'Grandpa and the Robin' is a moving picture book for children of 4 to 8 years, written by Eva Applecross and beautifully illustrated by Shelley Ashkowski. Dedicated to her late Grandpa Richard, it's a tale of loss and loneliness but also of joy and pleasure. Grandpa lives in a remote country farmhouse and is devastated by the passing of his wife, Doris. His only remaining relative, his granddaughter, Ana, lives too far away to visit regularly. But grandpa makes good use of his time and keeps busy tending his garden and watching the birds coming to feed. One in particular, a robin, visits often, which cheers grandpa up immensely. After being scared away for a time by a stray cat, the robin returns on Christmas Day and, even better, grandpa is blessed by a surprise visit from Ana and the two of them have great fun feeding the robin mealworms from grandpa's hat. This story is lovingly told and brings home the plight of many elderly people who live alone and far from their families. In a few short pages we find we care about grandpa as the story immerses the reader in a rollercoaster of emotions as grandpa loses what brings him hope but then finds it again in what we sincerely hope is a happy ending. A wonderful book to share with youngsters. Drena Irish, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador