Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2002)

A young boy from the city spends the summer in the country with his grandfather. Grandpa and Bo make the most of their time together, playing ball, taking walks, telling stories, and just enjoying each other's company. In this welcome reissue, the leisurely text and homey pencil sketches convey the easy, comfortable relationship between Grandpa and Bo.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Playing catch, exploring nature and re-creating a Christmas spent apart are just a few of the ways a boy and his grandfather enjoy their summer together in Grandpa & Bo (1986) by Kevin Henkes. Cream-colored pages and framed pencil drawings suggest the intimacy the pair shares. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2 Due to family logistics, Bo and Grandpa see each other only at every other Christmas and during the summer, which they spend on Grandpa's farm in the country. They take walks, go fishing, observe life, and have special places where they sit and talk. Grandpa answers all of Bo's questions and gives every bit of life a personalized name: ``That's a praying mantis. . .but we can call him Ralph.'' When Bo realizes that they will be separated at this coming Christmas, the two celebrate a summer Christmas. Warmly and gently told, Grandpa and Bo is balanced by equally soft full-paged pencil drawings with yellow backgrounds throughout. Henkes' story builds slowly yet lovingly, paralleling perfectly the events of a very special summer for a young boy and his grandfather. Laura Bacher, St. Catherine's School, Richmond, Va.