Hey Grandude!

PreS-Gr 2–McCartney regales readers with the tale of a granddad who possesses a magical compass. Waving the compass over a postcard and muttering a special phrase, “See the compass needle spin, let the magic fun begin,” Grandude and his grandchildren are transported to beautiful beaches, the wild West, and the rolling hills beneath the Alps. Yet no majestic location is without its faults, and eventually the family returns home for bedtime. McCartney’s story is whimsical and fun, filled with pleasing alliteration and onomatopoeia. Older readers will nod in appreciation at the title, a clever play on the Beatles song, “Hey Jude.” Grandude calls his grandchildren “Chillers,” and the warm relationship between the grandfather and his grandkids is touching. Durst’s illustrations are playful, bright, and detailed, filling the pages and encapsulating the magic of the time-traveling story.