Let’s go!
Ms Whiskersniff (Ms Whisk when in a hurry), is taking her class 2B off for an adventure into the wilderness. With backpacks on backs and smiles across faces, they are all excited and ready.
Before they leave, Ms Whisk asks her young students,
“Now then, who has forest skills?”
There are offers of cooking, map reading, or taming wild beasts. Some can climb, some can trap and one is just worried about her socks. But one boy named Liam offers another skill. The other children scoff at his suggestion.
Off they go, up into the Dismal Hills in ones and twos, with Liam trailing behind them. With lots of chatter and the thrill of the trek taking all of their attention, no one is watching Liam – who is watching for something else.
Isn’t there stories of a monster in these hills? A Grizzled Grist?
Ms Whisk has her work cut out for her, with so many children to watch, and no time for talk of a fabled monster.
“The Grizzled Grist does not exist!”
Liam however is not convinced, watching, wary, waiting… and the only one who can save the day!
A class trip becomes an exciting adventure woven with a mystery of a monster with malice in mind! A confident teacher and her young students are oblivious to all around them on their day tramp, but are lucky someone in their group is more aware of their surroundings.
With fun-to-read rhyme, and building tension, the anticipation of what really might be in the wilderness rises on every page. The illustrations are expressive and entertaining to pore over with some added gems in the faces and antics of the children.
The Grizzled Grist Does Not Exist is a celebration of the quiet child in the class who participates on the fringes of events or play, and noticing what others don’t. He/she might not be the loudest, most popular, or cleverest among their class, but sometimes they are the most special of all.
Author – Juliette MacIver
Illustrator – Sarah Davis
Picture Book
Colour the class here
(2022, Gecko Press, Adventure, Action, Animals, Courage, Humour, Mystery, Hiding, School, Classmates, Tramping, Day walk, Trekking, School trip, Monster, Mystery, Watching, Waiting, Save the day, Rescue, Costume, Disguise, Trick)