ALA Booklist (Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

The big surprise about this delightful book is that it's taken O.G. Paul McCartney so long to bring his impish humor and love of language to picture books. Here, it's in full display as McCartney introduces Edward Marshall, Sr., "grand dude," a bearded fellow who has a way with magical postcards that can transport his four grandchildren, the "Chillers" to exciting places. All it takes is a wave over the cards and a special compass to put the kids on a beach, where flying fish fly and sand castles rise. But pinching crabs make a new venue imperative, so it's off to to the Old West, where the fun of riding horses unfortunately turns into a wild race away from stampeding buffalo. When the panting children ask to go somewhere a bit less "stampy," the compass and cards remove all to a scenic Swiss meadow with mountains in the distance until . . . "Avalanche!" McCartney does a fine job of upping the ante at each stop, which juxtaposes neatly against the family fun. Illustrator Durst captures all this in an oversize format full of both motion and emotion as the diverse group of chillers dash, crash, scurry, worry, and laugh about the magical events. In the end, it's golden slumbers, but the promise of future adventures is in the air.

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

Inspired by McCartney-s own nickname and featuring a titular wink toward the Beatles- -Hey Jude,- this picture book debut from the musical icon hits all the right notes in the tale of a cool grandfather, his magical compass, and his grandchildren: Lucy, Tom, Em, and Bob. The -Chillers,- as Grandude dubs the foursome, are visiting for the weekend, but gloomy weather is thwarting their fun--everybody was grumpy and too bored to be bothered.- Enter Grandude with zingy green backpack, a handful of postcards and, like Mary Poppins before him, a mystical compass. The family rides flying fish, horses, and airborne cows in various locales, narrowly evading danger each time before being whisked to the next destination. An energetic refrain (-See the compass needle spin,/ let the magic fun begin!-) and an onomatopoeic arpeggio (-Zing, bang, sizzle... everything changed!-) set the pace for each brisk adventure-until Grandude sees the children home and tucked in for bed. Durst-s colorful illustrations enliven the narrative with cartoon details and scrawled textures. An entertaining, if familiar, debut. Ages 4-6. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

PreS-Gr 2 -McCartney regales readers with the tale of a granddad who possesses a magical compass. Waving the compass over a postcard and muttering a special phrase, "See the compass needle spin, let the magic fun begin," Grandude and his grandchildren are transported to beautiful beaches, the wild West, and the rolling hills beneath the Alps. Yet no majestic location is without its faults, and eventually the family returns home for bedtime. McCartney's story is whimsical and fun, filled with pleasing alliteration and onomatopoeia. Older readers will nod in appreciation at the title, a clever play on the Beatles song, "Hey Jude." Grandude calls his grandchildren "Chillers," and the warm relationship between the grandfather and his grandkids is touching. Durst's illustrations are playful, bright, and detailed, filling the pages and encapsulating the magic of the time-traveling story. VERDICT This is a lovely story for readers who enjoy adventure and love their grandparents; it will surely be a hit with McCartney's fans.-Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia