Grug series by Ted Prior

Simon and Schuster, 2015
Grug meets a dinosaur. ISBN 9781925030525
Grug gets lost. ISBN 9781925030518
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Once the top of a Burrawang tree fell to the ground . . . and the grassy top began to change. It became Grug. And so the adventures of Grug began.
In Grug meets a dinosaur, Grug spots a strange looking creature and thinks that it is a dinosaur. It begins to chase him as he speeds away to the creek and follows him as he jumps into the water. Grug is scared but of course there is a twist in the end.
In Grug gets lost, Grug ends up in a dark forest where he has never been before and is very frightened, but also very tired. When he wakes up, some of the food in his basket has disappeared but he could see light through the trees and manages to make his way home.
It is wonderful to see a reprint of the books that first come out in the 1980's and were so very popular then. Both stories are written in easy to understand language with the occasional interesting word thrown in, like 'slithered', 'clambered', and 'scurried' that will add to a child's vocabulary. The stories explore common themes like fear and becoming lost are ones will resonate with young children.
The illustrations complement the text and give clues to what is going on. There are some whimsical additions like the little creature that steals Grug's food that will make the reader smile, and of course the expressions on the face of strange little Grug are superb and will give the reader many opportunities to have a laugh.
The beginning reader is sure to love these books. They are small enough to hold comfortably in children's hands; the subject matter is compelling and the illustrations are charming.
They are certainly keepers for a child's personal library and a boon for a school or classroom library.
Pat Pledger