Grandad's Island Archives

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

Hello, my name is Hannah. I’m a self confessed cappuccino and Lotus biscuit addict, who could easily spend all day in a book shop if I wasn’t quite so distracted by my 3 and 5 year old! I own HVB Marketing. We are a business supporting (mostly amazing mum-lead) businesses with their online marketing, which predominantly focuses on Search and Social advertising. Having worked in the online marketing space for years, most clients will dip into other areas of marketing knowledge along the way. I live and work in the leafy Surrey suburbs.

What are your children’s favourite books?

My 3 year old daughter’s book of the moment is ‘Tiny Tantrum’’ by Caroline Crowe. It’s a story about a little girl who tantrums when she is asked to do something she doesn’t enjoy, like cleaning her teeth or eating broccoli. A purple, hairy monster and his friends give the girl a fright but then they give her some good advice like doing bottom wiggles, flushing your tantrum down the loo and never sharing hiccups, pants or snot. The kind of advice that makes my daughter laugh out loud! In the end, Tiny Tantrum finds herself giving the monsters some advice too. I think my daughter really connects with the tragedy of having to put your coat on, wash your hair all those things mean mums like me insist on!

Grandad’s Island is one of those books that I think every child should read. It covers the sensitive topic of bereavement but in a really smart and beautiful way which helps the child grasp the concept as best they can at a young age.

The story is about a little a little boy called Syd whose beloved Grandad lives in a house at the bottom of the garden. One day Syd pops around but he can’t find his Grandad anywhere. He searches the house and eventually finds him up in the attic where he has prepared an adventure.

They go through a magical door which takes them to a ship and then sail the oceans until they reach a tropical island. Look closely at the illustrations and you can see that the wonderful treasures on the island echo the pictures and keepsakes you see in Grandad’s house in the first few pages. On this island Grandad is surrounded by all of his favourite things – and he doesn’t need to use his walking stick to get around anymore! They build a shack, swim together in the waterfall and play with all of the exciting animals they find.

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Grandad’s Island

Ivy’s Guest Book: Hannah Van Buskirk, Owner, HVB Marketing

Grandad’s Island
by Benji Davis