Pavlo Gets the Grumps

For those days when everything feels blah, a picture-book-shaped hug offered with humor and tenderness by a gifted Ukrainian artist.

Pavlo does not feel like going to the park. Not today. He does not want to go swimming. He even says no to the movies. What’s going on, Pavlo?
Pavlo has the grumps. Though Mama suggests one fun activity after another, Pavlo doesn’t want to do any of them. Can anything cheer him up on this down day? Capturing a range of emotions through nuanced expressions and a simple text, Natalia Shaloshvili’s comforting picture book looks at familiar childhood feelings, suggesting that grumpy days, sadness, and even anger happen to everyone. But that’s OK--good friends and family will love you anyway. And who knows what might happen if you decide to give that big slide a try after all?

Natalia Shaloshvili is an artist and children’s book author and illustrator whose work includes The Three Little Mittens by Linda Bailey. Her art can be found in exhibitions and private collections around the world. Originally from Ukraine, Natalia Shaloshvili now lives in the UK with her family.