The Grudge Keeper by Mara Rockliff (review)

Poor Cornelius. He’s the only Grudge Keeper in Bonnyripple, and the townspeople keep him plenty busy with their “ruffled feathers, petty snits, minor tiffs and major huffs, insults, umbrage, squabbles, dust-ups, and imbroglios,” all brought to him for safekeeping. Folks may give him their grudges, but they don’t forget them—that is, until a storm passes through town, burying Cornelius in the rubble of offenses. All the people who thought their complaints important enough to store with Cornelius now let them go, tossing aside grievances to free not only the Grudge Keeper but also themselves. Clever and on point, this picture-book tale captures the burden of grudge-holding with lighthearted humor and impressive verbal dexterity. As Rockliff’s Juster-esque gymnastics please with wordplay (“Low blows rested high up in the pile. High dudgeon had drifted down low. And the left-handed compliments had landed on the right-hand side”). Wheeler’s pen and ink drawings capture the vaguely Victorian world of Bonnyripple with whimsy and warmth. Detailed but not overwhelming, these yellow and green-toned renderings make full use of the page, with full-bleed double-page spreads used particularly effectively in their depiction of both the number of grudges housed at Cornelius’ home and the space there for friendship after bygones have indeed gone. This is a smart, witty tale for those kids feeling slighted, or just slightly silly.