Grimble facts for kids
Cover of the 1968 Edition
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| Author | Clement Freud |
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| Illustrator | Frank Francis Quentin Blake |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Collins |
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Publication date
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1968 |
| Pages | 44 |
| Preceded by | (none) |
| Followed by | 'Grimble at Christmas |
Grimble is a funny children's book written by Clement Freud. It was first published in 1968. The story is about a boy named Grimble and his unusual parents. Later, a second book called Grimble at Christmas came out. The first book had drawings by Frank Francis. Later, both books were put together in one special edition with new illustrations by Quentin Blake.
Grimble's Big Adventure
The main character, Grimble, is a boy who is "about 10 years old." His parents are quite unique and do things differently. One day, Grimble comes home from school and finds his parents are gone! They have left for Peru for a whole week.
They didn't leave him completely alone, though. They left him a fridge full of tea bottles and an oven full of sandwiches. They also left a tin filled with sixpence coins. Most importantly, they gave him a list of five names and addresses. These were people he could visit to get help with dinner each night.
Grimble tries to visit a new person from the list every day. But each time, his host is not home! The book tells the funny story of how Grimble manages to live by himself for five days. It's all about his humorous adventures while being home alone.
How Grimble Became Popular
The book Grimble became quite famous. It was even read on the BBC children's TV show Jackanory. This show featured different people reading children's books aloud.
After the book was read on TV, Clement Freud received many letters. He got about 23,500 letters from readers! Interestingly, 64 of these letters were complaints. They came from teachers who taught domestic science, and they thought the book was "disgraceful." This was likely because Grimble's parents left him alone with unusual food arrangements.
Many famous authors have said that Grimble is one of their favorite books. These include J. K. Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter series, Neil Gaiman, and Lauren Child.
In 2005, the book was reprinted in a special collection. This collection was called Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren't as Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones, Creatures from the Sky, Parents who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and One Other Story We Couldn't Quite Finish, So Maybe You Could Help Us Out. The money raised from this book helped support 826NYC, a writing center for young people.
