I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, short and simple book. I think kids will like the story and the character of Grumpy. The pictures were okay.

Grumpy the iguana has reason to be grumpy. This book is a true testament to friendship that can change your life. I really felt sad for the iguana on the day he became 'grumpy'. The parrot entered the iguanas life at just the right moment. While the story was great, I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations.

This is a great, simple story. Perfect for toddlers or those just learning to read on their own. Grumpy the Iguana also displays some basic traits I hope all children are taught: friendship, gratitude, and a desire to help others. While the story is simple the concepts behind it are complex.
Our iguana buddy is faced with a major disruption to his life when his tree is cut down. So he resorts to some bleachers one night before a lovely Parrot comes along and saves the day by kindly offering him to stay in his tree. On the exterior of this it seems simple and easy. But imagine if we actually did this in real life. Brought those without housing or in trouble into our homes? What an amazing world it might be. Now I realize there are 1001 concerns and issues with simplifying things down like this; but I think for the purpose of teaching really little kids there isn't any risk in saying that displaying kindness and helping others is the right thing to do.

This is the kind of simple story that might open the door for larger conversations as the children get older. In fact wouldn't it be a great story to have a book club chat about? I'm thinking you could discuss things like: what are the concerns with the simplicity of housing being shared, is it not as simple as helping those who've had misfortune thrust upon them to receive the help they need, and how do you tell the difference between our Iguana (who just needs a helping hand) and someone who perhaps doesn't know how to accept help or even process there is a problem.
Interesting food for thought from a 32 page children's book...

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I thought that this was a great book and I loved the images

The book tells the story of Grumpy the Iguana who lives up to his name after he loses his home and his daily routine – the book shows Grumpy making a friend and his personality changes.

It is a positive book for children – 4 stars from me for this one

I'm not sure if it's the books intentions but this is very much an allegory for homelessness. Grumpy the Iguana didn't used to be grumpy until his home was taken away. But it'll take a friend to help him find his place again and find a happier mood. The story isn't bad and reads more like a spoken word story than a picture book. The illustrations are not up to standard big five publishing. The book looks and feels very self-published or vanity published. That's not a bad thing. The story is nice and it works. I think this book would be better in Florida libraries where there are iguanas rather than Illinois where I'm at.

A lesson about being grumpy and learning that having a friend can change our situation and attitude.

Grumpy is happy until someone cuts down the tree which is his home. He becomes grumpy with everyone. One day, he meets a parrot who asks him why he is so grumpy. After learning of Grumpy’s home, the parrot takes Grumpy to the tree that is the parrot’s home. He offers to share his tree with Grumpy. Thereafter, the two are inseparable and Grumpy is no longer cranky.

There are two connecting lessons in this story. From Grumpy we learn that being crabby and pushing others away when we have a problem gets us nowhere. This leaves us stuck.

From the parrot we learn that reaching out to someone who is grumpy and problem-solving makes both people happy and can result in finding a new friend. Also, it is apparent that when two people work together, problems are solved easier. Sharing is a positive message, as well.

The illustrations are bright and colorful. The artwork feels perfect for the story.


I received an ARC from Canoe Tree Press through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

This is a story about an iguana that loses his tree home in the wild due to deforestation, which makes him lose his happiness and become grumpy. A bird recognizes this grumpy iguana and his situation and invites the iguana to live with him in his tree home, where these two become great friends. This book could help children develop an interest in caring for and protecting wildlife, and having compassion and empathy for the needy.

This cute children's book is about a happy iguana named Grumpy who lives up to his name after he loses his home. Can Grumpy become happy again?

This book has beautiful, bright illustrations and interesting animal characters for older elementary school aged children.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy!

I enjoyed this story of an iguana whose daily routine is interrupted, causing him to become Grumpy. I also enjoyed the water color styled illustrations. Unfortunately, I felt as if the overall execution of this story could have used a bit more polishing. The text color changes did not feel necessary, and I didn't particularly enjoy the cause of his routine's interruption as it seems a bit heavier than necessary.

An adorable, simplistic book about friendships and types of people. Very interesting take and very nice for young readers.

Thank you netgalley for providing this book in return for a voluntary review.

Thanks to Canoe Tree Press and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. Good book about friendship. The graphics appear to resemble watercolor drawings and are a little sparse, but for a book I would read to or with a 1-3 year old that is OK. Story is also OK and is about friendship, and a friendship that develops between different species (an iguana and a parrot). Nice effort.

This is the story of grumpy the iguana! My first impression was cute and simplistic. Eye catching for kids. Grumpy loves his routine. Your average loner set in his ways. Until one day when he came back to his home and found it gone. All that was left was a stump.
He goes in search of a new home but nothing is right. He soon meets the green parrot. He takes him to his own home, the most beautiful tree and offers Grumpy a place to live.

I found the book charming and cozy. A book you can snuggle up with your little one and feel content.

The book really shows you the compassion and understanding that Grumpy needed to finally find a place to be happy. I really enjoyed it and so did my daughter,

It's definitely a book I would purchase.

Grumpy is an an iguana that lives in Flamingo Park in Miami Beach, Florida. He is a happy iguana, until one day something terrible happens that would change his life forever. So why was he named Grumpy initially?
His tree was cut down and I was prepared for a lesson about encroaching on animal habitat, but that’s not the case. It’s more a story of friendship as a new friend helps Grumpy to put his life back on track, and he discovers kindness of others.
This will be a good book to add to your collection about empathy and kindness.

The illustrations are vivid and very striking although at times Grumpy’s expression is more goofy than grumpy, but that adds to the fun.

This book was adorable. I read it to my ten month old son tonight and he seemed to enjoy the photos and was paying attention to the story. I thought it was a cute story but also highlighted some important environmental issues that wild life routinely faces. It also highlights the importance of having a friend and being a friend to someone in need. I do recommend this cute book.

Grumpy The Iguana by Susan Marie Chapman is a fun little book about an animal we don't get to see much in children's books. This is the story of an iguana that was perfectly happy with his simple life in sunny Florida until one day, someone cut down his home tree and he had nowhere to go anymore. From then on, the happy iguana was known as Grumpy, as that was all he ever felt moving forward. One sunny day though, he came upon an (to him) unreasonably happy parrot who promised to have just what he needs to turn his life back around. Find out what happens next and enjoy the beautiful illustrations that accompany this story with lots of fun colors.

Hmmm… There's not a heck of a lot to say about this; it features an iguana who has a daily set pattern until someone chops his tree down, and so he turns grumpy. It's one way of showing how being a good Samaritan can change things, though, as a parrot comes to offer friendship despite the grumpiness. Pleasant water-coloured illustrations add to things; oddly coloured text less so.

This was a really cute book and I would love to read it in my storytimes! I really hope my library orders this book so that I can promote it! I will definitely try to influence my book-purchaser.

This was a cute little book. It was chosen by the title since I have a grumpy little one myself today! Did not disappoint.

This was a fun book for any age. The story is humorous as it follows Grumpy who learns a valuable lesson in life.

This was a very cute story, and it will show children to help others whenever you can. The illustrations were also very cute.